From the Ashes
by Spaghettipaw
Summary: Sage is a barn cat, but she has always dreamed of becoming a warrior like her father. When a disasterous fire destroys her home, she finds herself plunged into life in JuniperClan- but it's nothing like she imagined. A Clan in ruins, unwelcoming clanmates, and a mysterious prophecy- how will Sage fit into this new world?
1. Chapter One

Sage's tail twitched impatiently as she sat on top of the woodpile next to the barn. Her amber gaze was fixed on the fence line at the far end of the field. He said he would come today- why wasn't he here yet?

"Come on, Sage," pleaded her sister from below. "Let's go explore the twolegplace. We might meet some other cats our age- it could be fun! We could make some new friends!"

Sage looked down at her sister. "We can't go to the twolegplace, Willow! Are you crazy? It's so far away, and dangerous. Anyway, Papa should be here any minute."

Willow sighed dramatically. "Papa never shows up when he's supposed to. And I'm bored of his stories. We're not kits anymore, Sage."

Sage jumped down from her perch. "Take that back! Papa always keeps his promises. He's an honorable and trustworthy warrior, just like the Code says."

"You and all that Clan stuff," said Willow with another one of her dramatic sighs. "If you're so fascinated by the silly warrior stories, why don't you just go off with Papa and join his Clan?"

Sage felt like her sister had just swatted her across the face. "How could you say that?" she asked. "I could never leave here! What would I do without you and Mama?"

Willow dropped her gaze. "I'm sorry. I know you don't want to leave… I just felt bad because you said my idea to go to the twolegplace is dumb."

"I'm sorry too. I just worry about you and your crazy ideas sometimes."

Willow rolled her eyes. "You sound like Mama."

Sage laughed, but stopped abruptly as she realized how late it was getting. Maybe Willow was right, and her father wouldn't be coming to visit today. Her tail drooped.

"Come on, let's see if Mama has caught any mice yet," said Willow, noticing the change in her sister's mood. "I'm hungry."

Sage followed her back inside the barn.

"What have you girls been up to?" their mother greeted them warmly when they entered. She had in fact caught several plump mice. The sisters tucked in and told her about their day. Sage left out the part about waiting around for her father- talking about him usually put June in a bad mood.

June was a pretty tortoiseshell, like Sage. Willow, on the other hand, was her father's spitting image- she was a sleek gray tabby just like Smokewhisker. It wasn't a comparison that their mother ever commented on, though. She seemed more concerned about the similarities that Sage shared with him. Sage was glad that she hadn't heard Willow accuse her of wanting to run away to join his Clan- that would have made her very upset.

"It's very late, girls," meowed their mother as they finished up their mice. "Let's get some sleep."

The three she-cats curled up together in their nest in the straw, but Sage couldn't sleep. She was still upset that Smokewhisker had failed to show up. Last time he was here, he had promised that he would teach her the hunter's crouch and some battle moves.

Sage was fascinated by the stories that Smokewhisker told whenever he visited. She loved hearing about the brave warriors who were so loyal to their Clan, and the wise leaders who guided them in living by the Warrior Code. Even the idea of medicine cats speaking to StarClan intrigued her, even though it sounded pretty strange.

As younger kits, she and Willow would play games, pretending to be warriors, defending their clan from enemies. Secretly, Sage still liked to imagine herself as a warrior, defending her "clan," even if it was just her mother and sister.

Eventually, the slow, steady breathing of her mother and sister eased Sage to sleep, just as it did every night.

They were awakened the next morning by a familiar mew. "Hello, my beautiful girls! I brought breakfast!" Smokewhisker grinned at the she-cats curled up in their nest, a freshly-caught rabbit at his feet.

"Papa! You came!" purred Sage, bounding over to him. Willow trailed behind, yawning.

"Of course I came." A tinge of guilt colored his voice. "I'm sorry I couldn't make it yesterday, though."

Behind her, Sage heard her mother sniff irritably, but she didn't say anything.

The four of them shared the rabbit in semi-awkward silence. It tasted very different from the barn mice that Sage was used to. She wasn't sure if she necessarily liked it more… it was just different.

She sat up, licking her jaws. "Thank you, Papa," she said politely, trying to keep from bouncing with eagerness. "Can we go practice the hunter's crouch now?"

Smokewhisker chuckled. "Sure thing, Sage… that is, if it's okay with you, June?" he added, nodding towards her.

"Yes, that's fine," she replied stiffly. "Why don't you go, too, Willow? It would be good for you to learn to hunt as well."

"Um, okay. But I don't want to do battle moves. I don't like fighting."

Sage was shocked. Surely it was important to know how to defend yourself? She opened her mouth to tell Willow not to be ridiculous, but Smokewhisker cut her off.

"Whatever you like, Willow."

Sage looked up at her father incredulously, but he ignored her as he led the two young she-cats outside.

"Hunting and providing food for your clan is a very important part of being a warrior," he began. "So every apprentice begins by learning the hunter's crouch. You two are old enough that if you were in a clan, you would become apprentices. So I thought, you ought to learn what apprentices learn!"

Sage's tail waved happily. "Does that mean we get our apprentice names? Are you going to be our mentor?" she gasped, overwhelmed with excitement. "OH! I'm Sagepaw now!" She turned to her sister. "And you're Willowpaw!"

Willow smiled back, happy, but clearly not quite as excited as her sister.

Smokewhisker chuckled. "No, I'm sorry, Sage. You're not Clan cats, and only a leader can give a cat a mentor or a new name."

Sage felt suddenly deflated and her smile faltered.

"But we can still learn warrior skills like a real apprentices, right?" butted in Willow, glancing at her disappointed sister.

"Of course!" their father said. "Look, this is how it's done."

Sage's disappointment melted away as she mirrored her father's crouch. He taught them how to creep forward without making a sound, and how to scent for prey.

"Well done, Sage! You would have made an excellent hunter in the Clan!" Smokewhisker said after she made a perfectly-executed pounce on only her third try.

She glowed with pride. "Willow is really good, too- she's so much better at moving without making any noise. I keep brushing the grass with my dumb fluffy tail."

"You're both doing very well. I'm proud of you," he purred. "I think that's probably enough hunting practice for today. Maybe this evening you can try catching a mouse in the barn to share with your mother."

"How about some battle moves?" asked Sage.

"Not today, I think," he replied. "There's something I need to talk to your mother about, then I have to go back to my Clan. You girls wait out here." He licked their heads affectionately then stalked off to the barn to talk to June.

The sisters glanced at each other nervously. Any time their parents talked, it didn't take long for the discussion to get heated. June was usually in a bad mood for days after a conversation with her former mate.

Once their father was inside the barn, Sage and Willow snuck close enough to hear the conversation.

"…a natural. She deserves a chance to learn more." Smokewhisker's deep voice carried out to where they hid.

"Fine. Come and teach her some more then. Just don't make her any more promises you don't intend to keep. She sat and watched for you nearly all day yesterday. The poor girl was heartbroken."

Sage's pelt prickled with embarrassment. She thought that she had hidden that from her mother.

"There's only so much I can do," huffed Smokewhisker. "I come when I can- the Clan needs me."

"What about your daughters?" June snapped. "Don't you think they need you too?"

"Of course! I want what's best for them. That's why I came up with an idea…"

"What kind of idea?" Sage could almost hear her mother's eyes rolling.

"Sage… and Willow too, if she wants to, should come back with me, to the Clan. They can be properly trained-"

"Are you out of your mind?" June spat. "Who do you think you are, coming here, trying to take away my kits?!"

"I'm their father, in case you've forgotten," he growled. "I want what's best for my kits. They have warrior blood in their veins- they belong with the Clan."

June's voice got so soft that Sage and Willow had to creep closer to the barn door to hear her. "You are no father to them. You promised to be here yesterday, and Sage waited for you all day. She deserves better than that- we all do. Family is more than blood, Smokewhisker. You chose your family when you left us for that clan of yours."

"I didn't have a choice." Smokewhisker's voice was softer now, too. Pleading. "JuniperClan needed me. They still need me."

"There's always a choice, Smokewhisker. You had the opportunity to be their family – our family – and you chose the Clan. You have no family here."

"What- what are you saying, June?"

"I'm saying that unless you're going to commit and truly be a father to those girls, I don't want you coming around here anymore. I can't watch them being constantly let down by a cat who doesn't care enough about them to keep his promises."

"June…"

"Just go. You made your decision moons ago. Now you have to live with it."

Sage felt Willow's tail brush across her shoulders. She blinked back tears and huddled closer to her sister. Willow was shaking, probably on the verge of tears. Sage had to be strong for her. Sage was the strong sister- she needed to be strong for Willow. Sage could cry later- but Willow needed her now.

Smokewhisker finally emerged from the barn, tail drooping. He looked around, but didn't call out to his daughters before making for the far edge of the field. Sage and Willow watched from their hiding spot as he reached the fence line, glanced back one last time, then leapt over the fence and disappeared from view.


	2. Chapter Two

Sage's full, fluffy tail waved above her as she walked along the top of the fence, balancing like a squirrel. Every day for the last eighteen moons- ever since her father had left, she patrolled the fence line all the way around the perimeter of the farm. In the beginning, she had watched eagerly for any sign of her father out in the grass and shrubs beyond her "territory." She still thought of him occasionally, but she knew better than to think he might return.

Sage had learned a lot from him, even if his presence in her life had been minimal and short-lived. She still remembered what he told her about being a warrior and living by the Code. It had stuck with her. Soon after he left for good, she decided that she would live by the Code as best as she could. She would be a warrior for her own clan- her family.

That's why she patrolled the borders every day. She didn't anticipate an attack, but she did like to know what was going on. It was her duty now to help take care of her family- and that meant defending their territory.

Sage jumped down from the fence under a big juniper tree, relishing in the cool shade. She would finish her patrol a little later. The late greenleaf sun was hot and sapped her energy like an evaporating puddle. The grass felt dry and brittle under her paws. There had been no rain for over a moon, Sage realized. She stretched out in the cool shade to rest and groom herself before finishing the patrol. Before she knew it, she had dozed off.

Sage awoke to her sister's pawsteps. She blinked and beckoned her over with a lazy wave of her tail. Willow settled beside her, licking her ear in greeting, but she seemed stiff and agitated.

"What's wrong, Willow?"

She huffed. "I saw Toby today."

Sage cocked her head. "I thought you really liked each other. Why are you so upset?"

"I do really like him. I… I don't know what to do, Sage. I think I'm going to have kits."

"What? That's wonderful!" Sage purred. "He must be so excited! You can start your own little family!"

Willow shook her head. "When I told him a few days ago, he…" she swallowed. "He said he didn't want a family. He said, 'We were just having some fun, Willow. I thought you knew that.' And he just walked away."

Sage didn't know what to say. She just nuzzled her sister's shoulder.

"And when I saw him today… he was with someone else. That pretty ginger cat from the next street over. They just stared at me. I couldn't think of anything to say, so I just came back."

"Willow, I'm so sorry."

"What am I going to do? I can't do this on my own- I'm not ready to have kits! I'm probably going to be a terrible mother. And what will Mama say? She always says I walk around with my head in the clouds. She's right- just look where I've gotten myself!" Willow dissolved into heartbroken sobs.

Sage brushed her cheek against her sister. "Calm down. Everything is going to be fine. You're going to be an excellent mother. And you don't have to do this alone. You will always have me and Mama- you know that. It's not your fault that your mate didn't turn out to be the kind of cat you thought he was. Mama will understand that better than anyone."

Sage groomed her sister as she continued to cry. Poor Willow had always dreamed about finding the perfect mate and raising their kits together. Sage resisted the urge to stalk to Twolegplace right now and teach that Toby a lesson. She was confident she could win the fight fairly easily, but it wouldn't make a difference. What mattered most was taking care of Willow now.

After a while, Willow's tears stopped. "Why don't you join me for the rest of my border patrol. Then we can go back to the barn and find Mama and we can all hunt together," suggested Sage.

Willow nodded, but her tail still drooped as the sisters jumped up onto the fence. They walked along it in silence, until Willow stopped abruptly.

"Sage, what's that smell?"

Sage sniffed the air. It was strange, but vaguely familiar. It tickled her throat and made her want to cough. It seemed to be coming from the other side of the farm, from the direction of the barn.

Willow saw it first. She gasped. Sage followed her gaze. What seemed to be a massive black cloud was beginning to block out the blue sky. It was getting bigger… and closer.

Smoke.

Panic set her heart racing and she had a hard time thinking clearly. They were in danger. They had to get somewhere safe.

Sage turned around. "Willow, we have to…"

But Willow wasn't there. Panic rising, Sage glanced around for her sister. She had to keep her safe. She spotted her on the ground, running away. No, not away. Willow was running towards the fire!

With a terrified yowl, Sage leapt after her sister. "Where are you going? Come back!"

She managed to catch up and tackled her, pinning her to the ground. "What's wrong with you? We need to get out of here!"

Willow rolled out from under her, gasping. "Mama," she managed to say between breaths.

Despite the rapidly increasing heat, a cold wave of dread rolled over Sage. Mama. Usually, June stayed in the barn and slept most of the day. She probably didn't even know the danger she was in right now.

Several things flashed through Sage's mind all at once. June, still in the barn. The growing wall of smoke, glowing orange near the ground where the flames were nearly visible. The river, not far from where she was now. Willow and the kits she was now carrying.

She made a decision.

"Willow, listen to me. Run. As fast as you can, that way." She gestured with a jerk of her chin. "Don't wait for me. I'm going back for Mama."

Willow got up from the ground where Sage had knocked her down. "No, I'm coming with-"

Sage didn't let her finish. "You have to think of your kits. Go, get somewhere safe. There should be a river, not too far that way. Get to the other side and wait for Mama and me there."

She looked like she was going to argue, but Sage didn't give her the chance. She shoved her. "Go!"

She hesitated just a moment more, but took off. Sage bounded in the opposite direction, running towards the barn. She could barely see it anymore, the smoke was so thick.

Her eyes stung, and she could barely breathe. "Mama!" she called out.

Her lungs burned, but she ran on. The heat was nearly unbearable. "Mama!" she called again.

The sound of the fire roared in her ears. She could see it now, racing towards her. The flames swallowed up the dry, brittle grass alarmingly fast. She wasn't going to be able to get to the barn before the fire did. She urged her muscles to carry her faster.

"MAMA!" she screamed. Her lungs filled with smoke, and she was forced to stop, coughing uncontrollably. Her eyes streamed, but she wasn't sure if it was tears of terror or from the smoke burning her eyes. Maybe both.

A horrible realization hit her. She wasn't going to be able to get to the barn. The fire was advancing too quickly, and she couldn't see even two fox-lengths in front of her. If she kept going forward, she would be consumed by the inferno. If she left, she wouldn't be able to rescue her mother.

Frozen with indecision, she called out again. "MAMA!"

She couldn't hear a reply, but she could see the barn now. The fire had reached the far side of it, and was quickly consuming the giant red structure. Sage took a step forward, but realized she was too late. She watched with horror as the flames climbed up the side of the building and reached the roof.

An ember drifted to her feet, igniting the grass right in front of where she stood. Sage leapt back, yowling in terror.

With one last glance at her home, she turned and ran. Tears ran down her face. Every step was an internal battle between fleeing for her life and going back for her mother.

Maybe June had gotten out on her own, she told herself. She could be okay. She had to be.

As she neared the river, she realized she had no way of getting across. Even with the dry greenleaf, the river was deep and swift. And Sage didn't know how to swim.

She didn't have time to think, though. Her fur was singed from embers leaping from the flames. If she slowed, the fire would surely engulf her. She had no choice but to jump into the water.

The flow of the river pulled her under as soon as she splashed in. Sage kicked furiously, praying that she was moving towards the surface and the opposite riverbank. The swift water tugged at her long fur.

When her head finally broke the surface, she gulped for air, but her lungs filled with smoke again. Sage swallowed back a cough and kicked furiously for the opposite bank. Her muscles ached, but she didn't allow herself to slow. She needed to get back to Willow.

After what felt like ages, she pulled herself up onto the far riverbank. She hunched among the reeds, too exhausted to move. She stared across the river, which glowed orange with reflected flames.

"Sage! You're okay!" Willow's voice came to her from a little upstream.

Sage turned and saw her sister running along the river towards her. "I saw you jump in the water, but you got swept downstream so fast I couldn't keep up. Where's Mama?"

Sage averted her gaze. "I'm sorry, Willow. I was… I wasn't fast enough. The fire-" she was interrupted by her own coughing fit. "Maybe… maybe she got out. She must have smelled the smoke. She's probably fine," she added unconvincingly, her voice hoarse.

"Come on… I found a safe place for us. A hollow in a rock, so the fire shouldn't be able to get to us there, even if it gets across the river." Willow's voice was thick.

Sage followed her to a sheer slab of rock. Several tail-lengths up was a narrow fissure, just wide enough for a cat to squeeze through. Willow leapt up, and Sage followed. Inside, the fissure opened up to a small, den-sized hollow. Sage immediately curled up and fell asleep.


	3. Chapter Three

Sage and Willow watched as the twolegs swarmed about, extinguishing the fire the next day. They were gone by sunhigh, as was any sign of their home. As far as they could see, all that remained was a smoldering black scar.

"I'm going to go back," Willow said. "Maybe Mama will be back there, too. You should stay here and rest, in case she comes looking for us here."

Sage nodded. "Be careful."

"I will. I promise to be back before dark." Willow clambered out of the shelter. Sage watched as her sister trotted across the scorched grass towards where their home used to be, before curling up and going back to sleep.

She knew her mother wasn't coming. Willow, even despite her tendency to be overly optimistic, probably knew it, too.

Sage soon gave up on any more sleep. Every time she closed her eyes, she saw the barn again, engulfed with flames. Her stomach rumbled as well- she hadn't eaten since the morning before. It had probably been just as long for Willow, too. Sage decided to go hunt, so that there would be something to eat ready when Willow got back.

Hunting turned out to be much more challenging than she had expected. After the fire, prey was scarce. What little prey there was seemed to be concentrated around the river, which made Sage nervous. She doubted she'd be able to get back out if she ended up in the swift-moving water again, and a distant roaring told her that she wasn't too far away from some dangerous rapids. Her nerves made her a sloppy hunter, and catch after catch managed to evade her claws.

Exhausted and frustrated, Sage flopped down on the bank of the river. The mice and voles here moved so quickly compared to the fat, lazy barn mice she was used to hunting.

A nearby mrrow of laughter jolted her from her thoughts. Sage leapt to her feet, tail bristling.

A fawn-and-white she-cat stepped out of the river grasses in front of her, a limp finch dangling from her jaws. She had a thin pink scar over the outside of her left eye. "Not much of a hunter, are you?" she chuckled, setting the bird on the ground.

Sage scowled. "I'm a great hunter. I'm just having an off day."

The stranger cocked her head. "I didn't mean to offend you. You just seemed so anxious not to get your paws wet that you missed a bunch of easy catches."

Sage's eyes narrowed. "Have you been watching me? Who are you?"

"I'm Robinfrost." The strange cat batted the dead bird over to Sage. "Here, have this. I don't really care for birds. The feathers tickle my nose. What's your name?"

"Sage," she said reluctantly, accepting the gift. "Why were you watching me?" She asked again.

"Oh, it's silly, really. We're supposed to watch for intruders when they cross into our Clan's territory. Don't worry, though. I'm not going to chase you off or anything."

Sage almost choked on her food. "Clan territory? Are you… are you JuniperClan?"

Robinfrost lifted an eyebrow. "Kittypets usually don't know about us. Where did you hear about the Clan?"

Sage's tail lashed excitedly. "I'm not a kittypet, I'm a barn cat. My father is a part of JuniperClan! You must know him!"

"No kidding! What's his name?"

"Smokewhisker. He's-"

Robinfrost's smile faltered. "Oh Sage, I'm so sorry. He died this newleaf."

The news hit her like a physical blow. How much was she going to lose? "What happened?"

Robinfrost's voice was gentle. "He got sick, and the medicine cats tried so hard to help, but the herb stores were so depleted after leaf-bare that they didn't have what they needed to save him. He was a good cat, Sage. You're lucky to carry such a strong warrior's blood in your veins."

Sage swallowed her grief. "Thank you. So… where's the rest of your Clan? Do you think my sister and I could stay with you for a while? The fire destroyed our home and now we have nowhere to go."

Robinfrost's shoulders sagged. "I'm afraid we're in the same boat, then. The fire got across the river and went right through our camp. I'm not sure how many cats even got out, let alone where they might be."

Sympathy tightened Sage's chest. This cat had probably lost just as much as she had. "Why don't you stay here with me for a bit," she suggested. "Once my sister gets back, we can all look together for your Clanmates."

Robinfrost purred cheerfully. "Good plan, Sage. I'm going to see if I can find us some more food. If you want, I can give you some hunting tips. I'm one of the best hunters in the Clan," she added, puffing out her chest proudly.

Sage purred. "I would like that. Thanks, Robinfrost."


	4. Chapter Four

"This was our camp," Robinfrost told Sage and Willow.

They stood at the edge of a charred clearing. There wasn't much there anymore- just the charred skeletons of a few juniper trees and sage bushes and a blackened pile of rocks that looked like they had collapsed. There was no sign that Robinfrost's clanmates had been there since the fire.

"The nursery was here, and the medicine den," Robinfrost said softly, walking past a cluster of sagebrush.

Sage and Willow padded quietly behind her as she pointed out where the warriors' den and the fresh-kill pile had been and where they had gathered for clan meetings.

When they approached the pile of rocks, a sense of dread settled in Sage's stomach.

"This was Eaglestar's den. It looks like it fell down…" Robinfrost explained.

Willow took a step closer, trying to peer into the pile of stone. There seemed to be a dark, open space just beyond the blocked entrance. "Do you think… could there be anyone inside?"

The three she-cats looked at each other. Robinfrost was shaking slightly. Sage couldn't imagine how terrifying this must be for her.

"I'll try to move some of the rocks so I can look inside. Willow, you should probably rest. You need to think of your kits. Robinfrost, could you try to find some food for Willow? There probably isn't any prey around after the fire, but it's worth checking."

Willow's eyes flashed with irritation, but she agreed to find somewhere to rest. Sage knew she hated it when she bossed her around, but she was worried. She didn't know how far along Willow was in her pregnancy, and they had to be careful. Robinfrost went to help Willow find somewhere safe to rest before going out to hunt.

Sage turned to the daunting task of excavating the JuniperClan leader's den. She tried not to think too much about what may be inside as she pushed rocks out of the way. She had to be careful not to let the rocks collapse any further, and it was physically exhausting work, but eventually she made an opening large enough for her to get inside.

Tentatively, Sage slipped into the dark, cramped cave. It took her eyes a few moments to adjust, but even before she could see, she knew what was in there.

It took Sage a little over an hour to pull all of the bodies out of the ruined den. She was shocked how many there were- from what she could tell, they had all panicked and rushed into the tiny den to escape the fire, causing the collapse.

As she finished arranging the last body into a peaceful sleeping position, she heard a gasp behind her.

Robinfrost and Willow were back. Robinfrost dropped the tiny sparrow she had caught and rushed over to her dead clanmates. Sage retreated and sat with her sister, pity welling up in her stomach as Robinfrost rushed between the bodies. She came to a stop next to a calico, who looked to have been about two years or so older than she was. She sank to the ground, burying her face in the she-cat's pelt and began shaking with grief.

"Let's give her some privacy," whispered Willow.

Sage got to her paws and followed her sister to the other end of the ruined camp. She suddenly felt exhausted- she hadn't thought anything of it while she was doing it, but she had worn herself out. The sisters found a spot to lay down under a scorched juniper tree, and Sage was soon asleep.


	5. Chapter Five

"Sage, wake up. There's someone coming."

Willow's whisper sounded frightened. Sage opened her eyes, blinking until here eyes adjusted to the early morning sunlight. Willow was right… three cats were approaching the ruined camp. Robinfrost was still asleep next to the dead calico.

"Stay here," she breathed to Willow. Without waiting for a response, she got up and walked boldly to meet the approaching cats. She knew she couldn't sneak over to them undetected, so she opted for a show of confidence.

"Who are you? What are you doing here?" she demanded. She hoped that they wouldn't notice the nervousness in her voice.

A strange-looking black and gold tom extended his claws. "Who are you? You're the one in our camp," he snarled.

Sage took a nervous half-step back. "You're JuniperClan?"

"Oh, calm down, Emberglow," said a young calico, nudging the first cat. "She's no threat. There's only two of them, and three of us! Yes, we're from JuniperClan. Who are you?" she asked, turning to Sage.

"She's a friend." Robinfrost joined from behind. Maybe she hadn't been asleep, Sage thought.

"Robinfrost!"cried a second young she-cat, who looked a lot like Robinfrost with shorter fur. "I'm so glad you're okay! Quietstorm has been so worried, but I told him you were fine. I just knew it!" She rubbed her cheek affectionately against Robinfrost's jaw.

"Sage, this is Elkpaw, my sister. And those other cats are Emberglow and Chickadeepaw. They're all my clanmates. Everyone, this is Sage, and back there is her sister, Willow. We've been helping each other out since the fire."

Sage nodded awkwardly at the other cats. Elkpaw and Chickadeepaw seemed friendly enough, but Emberglow was still watching her with suspicious narrowed eyes.

Chickadeepaw suddenly gasped. "What… what's that?"

She nodded towards the bodies that Sage had laid out the night before.

"The Clan," Robinfrost said hoarsely. "Sage helped pull them all from Eaglestar's den. They all died in there."

The JuniperClan cats fell into a shocked silence.

"Who?" Emberglow finally asked. "Eaglestar? Shadowfoot?"

Robinfrost nodded.

"What about… Poppyclaw?" asked Elkpaw, her voice hardly more than a whisper.

Tears glistened in Robinfrost's eyes. "Yes."

"No!" wailed the skinny she-cat. "Mama!"

Elkpaw shoved past the other cats and raced to the cinnamon calico that Robinfrost had spent the night next to.

"Mama!" she wailed again, and dissolved into sobs. Robinfrost sat next to her and licked her shoulder, trying to comfort her younger sister.

Emberglow followed, bowing his head next to the still body of Eaglestar.

Chickadeepaw looked over the grieving cats. Grief shone in her eyes as well. She turned to Sage.

"We need to bury them," she said softly. "So they can go to StarClan."

Sage nodded. "Okay. Where do you bury your dead?"

Chickadeepaw frowned. "It's pretty far. A place we call the Ancestor Grove. It's in the forest."

"There are too many for us to carry them all there. We'll have to bury them here."

Chickadeepaw didn't respond. She was looking at the bodies of her fallen clanmates. There were tears in her eyes.

"Come on," Sage said gently. "Let's give them all a proper JuniperClan burial, right here."

Chickadeepaw nodded. "Okay," she sniffed.

"Why don't you get started on digging. I'll see if I can get the others to help, too."

None of the JuniperClan cats took any convincing. Even Willow helped, insisting that she had rested enough. Between the six cats, it only took a few hours before the bodies had been gently laid in the ground and covered in soil.

Chickadeepaw placed a branch of sagebrush on the mass grave. "To protect them from evil as they begin their journey to StarClan's hunting grounds," she explained. "There's a branch of the ClanTree, too."

Sage nodded and padded to the charred juniper tree that she had slept under the night before. It was easy to break off a brittle, burnt branch, which she placed across Chickadeepaw's sage branch.

"You have served your Clan well," she said. "They will remember and honor you in the seasons to come."

The group all bowed their heads and we're silent for a few long moments.

Eventually, Sage lifted her eyes. The sun was now past its highest point. They would need to get moving unless they wanted to spend another night in the empty ruined camp.

"Elkpaw, you said something about another cat… Quietstorm? Are there many other cats with you? Where are they?"

"I'm, yeah, there's a few of us. Cougarstrike helped a lot of is get out of camp when the fire came. We're kind of camped out in the forest, over that way." She nodded towards the distant trees.

"Cougarstrike suggested that we come here to try and find more of the Clan," said Emberglow.

"Is Cougarstrike the deputy?" asked Willow.

"No," said Elkpaw. "Just a warrior. He's my mentor. Shadowfoot was the deputy." She nodded towards the grave where they had just buried his body.

"No Eaglestar, no Shadowfoot, and we still don't know where Thistletail is," Emberglow said with a sigh.

"Thistletail is our medicine cat," Robinfrost explained to Sage and Willow.

"Well," Sage said decisively. "We may not know who the leader is, but the Clan should stick together. Let's go meet up with the group you were with. Emberglow, can you lead the way?"

"You're not JuniperClan," he huffed. "But sure, we need to get back anyway."


	6. Chapter Six

With heavy hearts, the cats left the camp-turned-burial-site. The JuniperClan cats were quiet and subdued. Emberglow led the way, his tail and ears drooping. Chickadeepaw followed close behind, occasionally trying to coax him into conversation. Eventually, she gave up and walked in silence, too.

Robinfrost and her sister, Elkpaw, brought up the rear of the group. The cat that had been so optimistic before wasn't cracking jokes anymore. She just stared blankly at her paws as she plodded along, letting her younger sister lean into her shoulder.

Sage felt like an intruder. She hadn't known the JuniperClan cats who died. Their loss was sad, a tragedy, even, but she just couldn't feel it the way that the others did. It felt wrong to be there with them, a witness to their grief. She exchanged glances with Willow, who was walking beside her at the middle of the group. She clearly felt uncomfortable too, but gave a small shrug as if to say, "Where else can we go?"

It was starting to get dark. Sage was just starting to wonder if the young warrior and apprentices had gotten them lost when she heard voices ahead.

"Should we go out and look for them?"

"They should be back by now, shouldn't they? Did something happen to them?"

"Maybe they found Eaglestar and the others! We should go find them!"

"Maybe they're lost? Why did you send such an inexperienced warrior with only apprentices to help him?"

The sound of arguing cats grew louder as they approached, then fell silent as Emberglow and Chickadeepaw led them into a clearing.

About a dozen cats sat in a disorganized huddle. They all looked up from their argument at them as they approached. Sage felt suddenly worried. Would they let her and Willow stay? Would they chase them off? Attack?

"You're back," said a tall, muscular tom with a torn ear. "We were getting worried."

Emberglow opened his mouth to respond, but was interrupted by Robinfrost.

"Quietstorm!" she cried, running to a big amber-colored cat. He was the biggest, most terrifying cat Sage had ever seen.

Robinfrost buried her face in the giant tom's fur. "I'm so glad you're safe," she whispered.

He licked her head gently, allowing the she-cat to press herself against his chest. _They must be mates_, Sage guessed.

"Who are these two?" asked the cat with the torn ear. "Did you find Eaglestar?"

Emberglow didn't seem to know how to respond. Sage mustered her courage and stepped forward to address the intimidating tom.

"I'm Sage, and this is my sister, Willow. Our home was destroyed in the fire, just like yours. Your clanmates have helped us, and if we can, we'd like to stay with the Clan, at least for a little while."

The scarred cat narrowed his eyes suspiciously. "We hardly have what we need to take care of ourselves. Why would we take in two kittypets?"

Sage bristled. "We're not kittypets!"

"Please." Willow stepped forward and sat next to her sister. "We have nowhere else to go, and I'm expecting kits… please."

The tom's face softened. "Kits?"

Willow nodded. "My first litter. And my mama… I don't have anyone to help me. Can't we stay? Just until the kits come?"

"We will have to ask Eaglestar when we find him, but I don't see why not," said the tom. "If everyone agrees?" he added, looking at the rest of the gathered cats.

"Eaglestar is dead." Emberglow said flatly before anyone could respond.

The group gasped, then quickly dissolved into chaos. Shrieks and wails filled the clearing.

"Enough!" roared the tom. The JuniperClan cats fell into an uneasy silence. "Emberglow, what are you talking about?"

The younger tom just shook his head miserably. "He was at the camp… with the rest of them. They all died. We buried them."

"Everyone?" a small voice asked.

Emberglow nodded. "Eaglestar, Shadowfoot, Poppyclaw, Moonflower and the kits… everyone. We're all that's left."

The JuniperClan cats seemed too shocked to speak. The horrified silence stretched on for what felt like an eternity.

"Actually, that's not entirely true." Chickadeepaw had a look of forced hopefulness on her face. "Thistletail wasn't there."

The tom with the torn ear gave the apprentice a pitying look. "Thistletail was old, Chickadeepaw. I doubt he made it-"

"No." she interrupted. "I'm sure he's out there somewhere, and we need to find him. We need a medicine cat now more than ever!" Her big eyes filled with tears as she spoke.

"I'll help look for him," Sage offered.

"Me too," said Willow, ignoring Sage's pointed glances.

Why won't she just rest and take care of herself? Sage thought with a sigh.

The scarred tom raised an eyebrow incredulously. "A couple of kittypets are going to find us our medicine cat?"

"Oh, enough, Cougarstrike." Robinfrost marched up to him. "You're not the leader, you can't tell them to leave."

"Why don't you come with us, Robinfrost?" Sage suggested.

Robinfrost smiled. "Good idea, Sage. Chickadeepaw's right- I think we could use our medicine cat right about now."

The tom, Cougarstrike, was scowling.

"You should come, too," Sage added impulsively.

He shot her a look of such animosity that she flinched.

"Don't tell me what to do, kittypet," he snarled. "I'm coming, but not because you thought to invite me along. Someone needs to make sure you don't get yourself lost."

Robinfrost smiled awkwardly. "This should be fun."


	7. Chapter Seven

"So... Cougarstrike, is it?" Willow's voice was pleasant and friendly. "That's an... intimidating name!"

The big scarred tom just gave a curt nod in response.

"Oh, don't be rude, Cougar. She's just being friendly!" Robinfrost was her old self again, giving her clanmate a jovial shove. "Why don't you tell her how you got your name?"

He gave her an irritated glance, but obliged.

"Fought a mountain lion."

"Really?" Willow said, awestruck. "When? How? By yourself?"

A smile tugged at the corner of Cougarstrike's mouth.

"Not quite by myself," he admitted. "It was about five seasons ago, just before I became a warrior."

"You weren't even a warrior yet?" exclaimed Willow. "What happened?"

Sage smiled, watching the tough warrior melt in her sister's adept paws. She had a way of charming just about anyone.

"Well, it was just a few days before my final assessment. I was out hunting with my mentor, but we were kind of working separately, so I was alone. Then I smelled something I didn't recognize."

Willow gasped. "A mountain lion?"

Cougarstrike nodded solemnly. "Yes. But I was young and foolish, and wanted to prove myself. I went to investigate instead of fetching my mentor."

Robinfrost fell behind them, stifling a laugh. "He loves telling this story," she whispered to Sage.

"...a huge animal, like a cat, but the size of a twoleg monster!"

Willow gasped.

"It was more like the size of that log over there," Robinfrost whispered, gesturing to a log about two or three fox-lengths long. It was nowhere near the size of a twoleg monster, but Sage had to admit that she was impressed nonetheless.

Robinfrost continued her whispered commentary to Sage while Cougarstrike gave his exaggerated blow-by-blow account of his fight with the mountain lion.

"Luckily, my mentor, Shadowfoot, heard the racket and arrived just in time. With him there, I finally chased off the mountain lion, before collapsing. I was badly wounded, but had hardly noticed it during the fight. That's where I got all these scars," he added.

"Wow," breathed Willow. "That was so brave of you!"

"He was barely able to stand anymore when Shadowfoot got there," whispered Robinfrost. "But to be fair, he was still fighting, and the mountain lion had a few wounds of its own. Probably kept some scars as souvenirs, courtesy of Palepaw."

"Palepaw?" Sage asked.

"Yeah, that was Cougarstrike's name before... I'll let him tell this part." Robinfrost smiled.

"So then, after it was gone, Shadowfoot carried me back to camp. The medicine cat patched me up and wanted me to stay in the medicine den, but Eaglestar wanted everyone out for a clan meeting."

"A meeting? He didn't even let you rest?"

"He said he had important clan business to attend to. So everyone gathered in the clearing, and Eaglestar did my warrior ceremony right then and there. Gave me the name Cougarstrike to honor my bravery."

"And as a reminder to exercise caution because the cougar can strike back," added Robinfrost, this time loud enough for Cougarstrike and Willow to hear.

Cougarstrike grimaced. "I was going to say that," he muttered.

Willow laughed. "I'm sure you were, Cougarstrike. I still think you were very brave."

Cougarstrike shrugged. "I've learned a lot since then. I was reckless- I'm lucky to be alive."

"Speaking of which," Robinfrost interjected, "How did you and everyone get away from the fire? What happened?"

The tom's mood suddenly changed. A shadow seemed to fall over his face.

"It was horrible. The smoke came first. It stung my eyes, and soon it was nearly impossible to see anything. Cats were panicking, running in every direction. It was chaos.

"I tried to find Eaglestar, to get directions on what to do, but I couldn't find him. The smoke was getting thicker. So I started telling every cat I saw to run towards the treebridge in the aspen grove. It got bad enough that I couldn't stay there any longer, and I ran with them. Some of the elders and younger apprentices had a hard time crossing the river, so Quietstorm and I helped them.

"I stayed in the back of the group, to watch for anyone who we might have left behind. We found our little temporary camp, and have been there since then. We were waiting for the rest of the clan to find us... but nobody came. So I sent Emberglow back to camp to look for signs of anyone. Chickadeepaw and Elkpaw insisted on going, too. Everyone else was too wounded to go, and I felt like I had to stay with the group to help how I could. You know the rest."

"Are many badly wounded?" asked Sage.

Cougarstrike seemed to have forgotten she was there. "JuniperClan is strong! We'll recover."

"I'm sure you'll be glad to have your medicine cat back, though," said Willow kindly, brushing her tail along his back.

He shrugged her off. "There's no way that old cat made it out of there alone."

"Don't say that!" said Sage. "There's still hope. We don't know that he died. The clan needs a medicine cat now more than ever! We just have to find him."

The big tom glared at her. "What do you even know, kittypet?"

Sage's fur prickled. "I'm not a kittypet!" she spat.

"You stink of twoleg filth," he snarled.

"You-"

"That's enough, Sage," snapped Willow. "Sage, you're being bossy. Cougarstrike knows what he's doing."

Her eyes were glistening and she avoided looking at Cougarstrike. "We're just trying to help," she said softly. "We can leave as soon as we find your medicine cat."

Robinfrost looked taken aback by her change of mood. "Leave? What about your kits? You need somewhere safe to have them, and you'll need help!"

"We won't overstay our welcome," Willow said simply. "We'll find somewhere else. We'll get by."

"No... I didn't mean... you don't have to go," stammered Cougarstrike. "I was just... your sister..."

"My sister is all I have left," she said firmly. "If she's not welcome, neither am I."

Sage felt a rush of gratitude for Willow. She and her sister may have their differences, but she could always depend on her to be there.

"We don't have to make any decisions now," interrupted Robinfrost. "We just need to find Thistletail and get back to the group."

Sage nodded. "Let's go." Tail high, she continued down the path.

Cougarstrike pushed past her. "You don't know where you're going. Follow me."

"As if you know where he is," Sage muttered. "You don't even believe he's alive."

"Well, if he's alive, this is where he'll be," he snapped back. "The Ancestor Grove is just ahead. It's where we bury our dead."

"He'll be at a grave site?" Willow asked.

"Either there, or just beyond it at the StarFalls."

"What are the StarFalls?" Sage asked, her curiosity overcoming her irritation.

"It's where the medicine cat goes," Robinfrost explained, "to talk to StarClan... or whatever. I'm not really sure what he does there. Thistletail won't let any cat go with him, except sometimes Eaglestar... but he didn't ever really go. He was busy with leader stuff."

Sagestar was about to ask more questions, but Cougarstrike suddenly stopped the group. "We're at the Ancestor Grove," he said. "You two, wait here. Robinfrost and I will go see if Thistletail is out there." He jerked his head towards the clearing just ahead.

"Why can't we come?" demanded Sage.

Cougarstrike scowled. "Because this place is where we bury the dead of JuniperClan," he growled. "No outsiders allowed."

"So... our father is buried there?" asked Sage.

"Your father? Why would a barn cat be here?" Cougarstrike scoffed.

"Our father was a JuniperClan warrior," Willow explained gently, before Sage could snap back at the arrogant tom. "His name was Smokewhisker."

Cougarstrike blinked in surprise, but held firm. "Just wait here."

Robinfrost gave the sisters an apologetic smile before following him into the small clearing, leaving them alone.


	8. Chapter Eight

Sage's tail twitched impatiently. It felt like she and Willow had been waiting outside the Ancestor Grove for ages. She could hear Cougarstrike's and Robinfrost's voices, along with another, unfamiliar voice. She wondered if they had found Thistletail. But if it was the medicine cat, what was taking them so long?

Willow was simply grooming herself, patient and poised as ever.

Sage sighed and got to her paws. "I'm going in there."

"We're not supposed to," Willow said, licking her chest fur.

"Says who? Cougarstrike?" Sage kicked at a tuft of grass growing near her paws. "I don't care what that mangy tom says. I'm going to see what's going on."

Willow sighed. "Fine. I'll come with you. You'll probably need my help again to keep it from turning into a fight."

"I'm not going to start a fight!"

Willow raised an eyebrow. "Sure you're not."

Sage turned around with a huff. "Whatever. Come on."

The two she-cats pushed their way into the clearing, then stopped dead. The sunlight in the clearing was a calm green, filtered through the leaves of the aspen trees that grew there. Sage marveled at the sensation of lush, cool grass beneath her paws- she had grown used to the scratchy, sun-dried grass of late greenleaf. The sound of birdsong mingled with a distant rumble of rushing water. Here and there, she noticed broken tree branches crisscrossed on the ground, half-hidden beneath the lush grass and plentiful wildflowers. It was one of the most peaceful, beautiful places that she had ever seen.

Willow pushed ahead of her, making her way to where Cougarstrike and Robinfrost were talking to a ragged-looking old cat. Sage had been too distracted by the Ancestor Grove itself to notice them. She followed her sister, distractedly following the flight of a small white butterfly.

As they approached, Sage forced herself to pay attention to the conversation.

"How many?" the old cat asked.

Cougarstrike hung his head. "Not many. I managed to lead a few of us out of camp before the fire caught us, but we lost so may cats. Too many." His voice sounded hollow and broken.

Willow padded up to the big tom and pressed her shoulder comfortingly against his. "You saved so many cats, Cougarstrike. Half the clan is alive because of you."

He shrugged her away and said nothing. Sage joined the group as Robinfrost introduced them to the new cat.

"Thistletail, these are our new friends. The fire destroyed their home, too, so they're staying with us for a little while."

The old cat nodded politely to Willow and Sage. "As Robinfrost said, I am Thistletail. I'm the medicine cat for JuniperClan... or I was, until the clan was destroyed."

Willow exchanged an alarmed look with Sage. Destroyed?

"It's... nice to meet you, Thistletail. I'm Willow." She gave the old cat a gentle smile. "My sister and I used to live in a barn on the other side of the river, but it burned down in the fire. We're thankful that your clan has been so welcoming to us."

Thistletail shook his head forlornly. "I'm afraid that the Clan is no more, little Willow. If only there was a way to restore it... but StarClan is as cryptic as they ever are. They only give me the same message again and again, but I cannot understand what it could mean. JuniperClan, I'm afraid, is gone forever."

Sage caught her sister's eye again. Alarm and confusion mingled on her face. Sage cleared her throat awkwardly.

"Um, Thistletail? I'm sure you will figure it out. There has to still be hope to restore the clan."

The old medicine cat sighed, clearly unconvinced. "I thank you for your optimism, young one. What is your name?"

"I'm Sage."

His icy blue eyes met hers, shining with a sudden intensity. "Sage? Your name is Sage?"

She blinked in alarm at the sudden change in the old cat's demeanor. "Yes... have we met?"

Thistletail began pacing, his tail whipping side to side with excitement. "Oh, no, child. But... of course. It makes sense, don't you _see_?" He stopped, his nose just inches from Cougarstrike's.

"See what?" Cougarstrike asked, taking a step back.

"_Sage will save JuniperClan from the ghosts of its past_," breathed Thistletail. He rounded on Sage now. "I thought that they meant the herb, of course, and how it repels wicked spirits... but this... you! You are the answer!"

Sage tried desperately to try to keep up with what the old cat was saying. "What? Me? What are you talking about?"

Thistletail took a steadying breath and sat down, but his tail belied his continued agitation.

"Before the fire," he explained, "I received a warning from StarClan. They said that JuniperClan had strayed too far from StarClan and from the Code. If the Clan did not right their path and return to the Code, the Clan would be destroyed, burned away."

Robinfrost looked confused. "A warning? From _StarClan_?"

"Yes, child. I tried to share my warning with Eaglestar, but he did not listen. He had no use for an old cat and his ramblings, he said."

"What does this have to do with her?" asked Cougarstrike, shooting a sharp look at Sage.

"I was getting to that!" exclaimed the old cat. "StarClan said that even if the Clan should be destroyed, there was still hope. The cycle could be broken. They told me to remember: _Sage will save JuniperClan from the ghosts of its past."_

Sage shook her head. "But... that can't mean _me_. I don't know anything about ghosts, or the Code, or saving anyone! You've made a mistake. It has to be something about the herb, like you said."

"No, no," insisted Thistletail. "You were sent here by StarClan to save us. I'm certain."

"Thistletail," Robinfrost began. "You need to rest. This is ridiculous."

"No!" Thistletail leapt to his feet. "I am certain! Come with me, all of you."

The old cat began marching away from them, into the darkening forest. Sage noticed with a start that the light in the clearing was now an intense orange. The sun was setting.

"Where are we going?" Willowsong asked, trotting to catch up with the medicine cat.

"We are going to the StarFalls," Thistletail responded. "StarClan will tell us if I am right."


	9. Chapter Nine

Sage's mind whirled as she tried to process what Thistletail had said. StarClan had warned him about the fire? But hadn't Robinfrost said that StarClan was just a nursery story? Maybe Thistletail was just a crazy old cat... but the fire had actually come, and JuniperClan had really been destroyed, just like he said.

But even if StarClan was real, that didn't mean that she was part of some prophecy... did it? Surely, Thistletail had made a mistake.

The forest got steadily darker and the roar of running water got louder as Sage, Willow, Cougarstrike, and Robinfrost followed Thistletail. Sage could feel the moisture building in the air- they must be getting close to the StarFalls. What would happen when they got there?

Thistletail came to such an abrupt stop that Robinfrost nearly barreled into him. He looked suddenly indecisive.

"I... I don't know if you should come with me," he said. "Normally, only medicine cats and leaders go to the StarFalls, except under exceptional circumstances."

"We don't have a leader or even a deputy right now, we've lost our camp, and half the clan is dead," said Cougarstrike. "I'd say that counts as an 'exceptional circumstance.'"

Thistletail frowned. "I still don't think we should bring a whole crowd of cats to the Falls."

"There's only five of us!" burst Robinfrost. "Forget your silly traditions, and let's get this over with. We need to get back to the rest of the clan!"

Thistletail shot her a sharp look. "I assure you, Robinfrost, that our traditions aren't 'silly.' If we had held more true to our traditions, we wouldn't be in this situation at all."

"Fires happen, Thistletail. This isn't some great sign from StarClan! They're not-"

"Enough."

Surprisingly, it was Cougarstrike who stopped her.

"We can't get back to the clan tonight anyway, Robinfrost," he reasoned. "Let Thistletail go to the StarFalls, and he can take or leave whoever he wants. It won't do any harm."

"Won't do any good either," Robinfrost muttered.

Thistletail sighed. "Robinfrost, you and Willow stay here. Sage and Cougarstrike, come with me."

A sudden rush of nerves settled in Sage's stomach. She didn't know what to expect... or even _if_ she should expect anything.

"I'll... be right back," she told Willow, brushing against her cheek briefly. "Keep her safe," she added to Robinfrost, who nodded in response.

"Let's go," said Cougarstrike, eyes on Thistletail. His animosity was surprisingly gone. Now his blue eyes glittered with something else... anticipation?

Thistletail led them further into the forest. The roar of the waterfall was now so loud Sage could hardly hear the medicine cat when he spoke again.

"When we get to the Falls, sit at the edge of the pool and wait. StarClan willing, they will come and speak with me tonight."

They rounded a corner and Sage couldn't stifle a gasp. Before her was a sheer cliff face, higher than anything she'd ever seen. Water tumbled down, as if from the sky itself. The white spray sparkled like the stars above her in the sky, which were also reflected in the dark, deep pool before her. Mist spread from the bottom of the falls, almost as if a cloud had come down from the heavens to rest upon the turbulent surface of the pool. Drops of water clung to pine needles, and sparkled with their own reflected starlight.

Sage approached the water's edge and sat alongside Thistletail and Cougarstrike. She chanced a peek at the grumpy tom, but Cougarstrike seemed just as awestruck as she was. It was probably his first time here, too, she realized.

Thistletail's gaze was fixed near the top of the waterfall. Sage followed his gaze and watched, though she didn't know what for.

After a long while- or maybe it was only minutes- Sage thought she saw something. Something bright and shining seemed to appear at the top of the waterfall, then descend with the water in little leaps and hops. Before she could get a good look at it, the shining thing disappeared into the mist, only to be followed by another, then another and another, until the waterfall seemed to be flowing with leaping, glowing shapes.

Then, out of the mist, a form stepped forward. He was a cat, a chocolate-colored tabby, but he was different from any cat that Sage had seen before.

He was transparent- Sage could see the cliff face and waterfall behind him. He also seemed to glow with a blue-white light, and stars shone in his fur. Sage realized that he was what she had seen leaping down the waterfall.

One by one, more starry cats emerged from the mist and stood beside the tabby. The mist suddenly dissipated to reveal even more cats, all standing on the surface of the water, which glowed with their reflected light. Sage thought she glimpsed kits among them, shining even brighter than their adult companions, like brilliant little flashes of sunlight.

The first cat spoke, and Sage's attention snapped back to him.

"Thistletail." His voice was deep and powerful. "We have seen the destruction that has befallen JuniperClan, and we grieve with you."

Thistletail hung his head. "If only Eaglestar had listened... is he with you?"

The starry tabby shook his head. "None of your fallen has found their way yet to the StarFalls, so we have not been able to guide them to our hunting grounds. You must go to their resting place and perform the burial ceremony for them."

Thistletail nodded. "Of course. But... that's not the whole reason I'm here."

"You have questions."

"Yes, two. First, both Eaglestar and Shadowfoot were killed in the fire. Who is supposed to lead the clan?"

Cougarstrike looked expectantly at the starry cat, who only nodded without looking away from the medicine cat. "And your second question?"

Thistletail seemed flustered, but overcame his confusion quickly. "It's about the second part of your warning. You said, 'Sage will save the Clan from the ghosts of its past.' I didn't understand, but I think I do now."

The starry cat blinked, waiting for Thistletail to continue.

"This is Sage." Thistletail nodded to Sage. She felt uncomfortable as hundreds of starry eyes fixed on her. "She found us when the Clan needed saving- is she the answer to the prophecy?"

The starry tom smiled. "Sage is the answer to both of your questions, Thistletail."


	10. Chapter Ten

"What?" Sage burst out.

The starry tom smiled at her. "You are the answer to both of Thistletail's questions, Sage. We believe you are the Sage from the prophecy we gave to Thistletail."

"B-but the first part," Sage stammered. "About the Clan's leader? I don't understand!"

"We have chosen you as JuniperClan's next leader," explained the StarClan cat.

Sage couldn't even think of a way to respond.

"_Her?"_ demanded Cougarstrike. "That can't _possibly_ be right!"

He quailed slightly as the starry tabby turned his attention to him. "Cougarstrike. Do you question StarClan's wisdom?"

Cougarstrike lowered his head slightly. "No... I just... are you /sure?/ She's never even been trained as a warrior! She's not clanborn!"

The starry cat raised an eyebrow. "Do you want to begin a discussion about bloodlines?"

Cougarstrike didn't respond. The StarClan cat turned his attention back to Sage.

"You may not have received formal training as an apprentice, but your father taught you about the Warrior Code. You have much yet to learn, but you have been destined since the beginning for this. Do you accept your destiny as a leader for JuniperClan?"

Sage looked around for answers, but Cougarstrike avoided her gaze, and Thistletail's eyes were simply filled with awe.

"I don't know... how can I be a leader? I don't know anything! I-"

A slender gray spotted tabby stepped out of the crowd, stars shining in his fur.

"Sage." His voice was gentle and familiar.

"Father?" She longed to leap forward and press her face into his pelt.

Smokewhisker smiled. "Yes. Sage, you can trust us. You can do this, and you don't have to do it alone. Leaders don't lead alone- they have their medicine cats, deputies, and elders to advise them. And you would have StarClan. We would guide you as much as we can."

The first starry tom nodded in agreement. "So, Sage. Do you accept your destiny as a leader of JuniperClan?"

Sage locked eyes with her father. He smiled. She took a shaky breath.

"Yes."

The StarClan cat smiled at her. "Then step forward, Sage, and join us."

Gingerly, Sage stretched forward a paw and placed it on the water's surface. It was cool and wet, but somehow firm. It held as she put her weight onto it, then took another step forward.

One pawstep at a time, she made her way to the middle of the pool. StarClan cats made a shimmering circle around her. The tom who first spoke to her sat immediately before her.

"Sage, I am Juniperstar, the first leader of JuniperClan," he said. "Today you take your place in a long line of cats who have devoted their lives to JuniperClan. Do you accept this duty, to place your Clan before yourself and all else?"

Sage dipped her head, the weight of the responsibility settling on her shoulders. Still unsure of whether she would be able to live up to it, she nodded.

"Yes."

"Very well. As leader of JuniperClan, you will receive gifts from nine StarClan cats to assist you as you serve your Clan."

Sage looked up at the majestic StarClan cat. His expression was solemn and intense.

Three cats separated from the group, led by a sleek she-cat with a dark face and paws.

"I am Nightstar," she said. "I was the leader of JuniperClan before Eaglestar. He should be the one to give you your first gift, as your predecessor- but he is not here. You must do your duty as leader and ensure that he and the rest of the fallen of JuniperClan receive the proper burial ceremony, so they may find their way to the StarFalls."

Sage nodded. "I will, Nightstar. I promise."

"Then I give you my gift," she said, touching her nose to Sage's.

There was a flash of light, and Sage saw Nightstar standing on a low branch of the juniper tree she had seen in the destroyed camp. The whole clan was gathered below her, listening. Sage couldn't hear what she was saying, but she seemed to be performing a ceremony.

The vision faded, and the second of the three cats stepped forward. He was large and had thick, soft-looking ginger fur.

"I am Copperwhisper. I was a warrior of JuniperClan."

He touched his nose to Sage's and another vision appeared to her. This time, she saw Copperwhisper fighting alongside his clanmates. Their claws tore viciously into their enemies, who fought back with claws of their own. Sage watched as both sides sustained injuries. Before long, this vision faded as well, and the third cat approached.

This cat was younger than the others. He couldn't have been more than three seasons old, Sage thought.

"I am Talonpaw," he said. "I was an apprentice of JuniperClan."

He touched his nose to Sage's. She saw him in a clearing, crouched low to the ground. Suddenly, he sprang forward, claws snatching a fat mouse. He picked up his prey and smiled at an older cat who had been watching from a short distance- likely his mentor, Sage thought.

The vision faded, and the three cats stood before her, the leader, the warrior, and the apprentice.

"We give you your first life for duty," Nightstar said. "As the leader of JuniperClan, remember your duty to defend, feed, and grow the Clan."

"I will," Sage said.

The three cats each placed a paw on her. She couldn't help but cry out as pain, like bolts of lightning, shot through her from the points where they touched her. She clenched her jaw and squeezed her eyes shut, willing herself to endure, until the pain subsided and the StarClan cats withdrew and rejoined the crowd.

Three new cats approached, this time led by Juniperstar.

"I am Juniperstar. I was the first leader of JuniperClan."

He touched his nose to Sage's and she saw Juniperstar talking to another cat, a tall she-cat with bright orange and black patches. She held herself with confidence and seemed to be giving a report to the leader. /His deputy?/ Sage wondered.

After the vision faded, another cat approached, a thin black-and-white she-cat.

"I am Fidgetburr," she said. "I was an elder of JuniperClan."

Sage raised an eyebrow. This cat didn't _look_ any older than the other cats who had spoken to her.

When she touched her nose to Sage's though, she saw a different Fidgetburr. Before her was a frail old cat, but with the same black and white markings. She was in a dim, cozy den, surrounded by kits and younger cats. They were listening to her intently as she spoke. Sage wished she could hear what the old cat was saying.

The vision faded, and another cat approached, a she-cat whose face seemed to be split in two. The left side of her face was vibrant orange, and the right a deep black.

"I am Berrypetal," she said. "I was a medicine cat of JuniperClan."

The starry medicine cat touched her nose to Sage's, and she saw a young Berrypetal approaching the very pool where Sage now stood. She looked worried. A single starry cat emerged from the mist and spoke to the medicine cat before the vision faded again.

Apprehension building, Sage listened as Juniperstar spoke again.

"We give you your second life for wisdom." His intense gaze seemed to bore into Sage's very core. "You will not have all the answers. As leader of JuniperClan, remember to counsel with those you can trust to aid you."

"I will," Sage promised.

She braced herself as the three cats gently placed their paws on her. This time, she didn't cry out when the pain came, even though it was more intense than the first time. She was beginning to feel dizzy when they finally withdrew and the last three cats approached. This time, they were led by her father.

He smiled at her. "I am Smokewhisker. I was a warrior of JuniperClan."

Tears pricked her eyes as she touched noses with her father. She couldn't help but smile as she saw her old home. She saw Smokewhisker with two gray kits. /Me and Willow,/ she realized. He laughed as the two kits leapt onto him and wrestled him to the ground. They rolled in the grass until the vision faded.

Smokewhisker beamed at her as he stepped back to allow the next cat to approach, a fluffy white she-cat.

"I am Shimmersnow," she said. "I was a queen of JuniperClan."

They touched noses, and Sage saw the white queen in a dark den. She looked thin and ragged, but the three kits that suckled at her belly looked plump and healthy. Her eyes were closed and Sage was sure that she was purring, although she couldn't hear her. The vision faded, and the last cat approached.

The final cat to step forward was a tiny kit- they had to be less than a moon old. The kit shone brighter than the other cats. It was as if all the starlight from an adult StarClan cat had been condensed into their tiny body. Sage almost had to squint in order to look at the brilliant kit when they began speaking.

"I never received a name," the tiny kit said. "I was a kit of JuniperClan."

Closing her eyes, Sage touched noses with the unnamed kit. What followed was unlike the visions she had received from the other StarClan cats. There was a blinding flash of pure white light, which faded to darkness until she couldn't see anything at all. Suddenly, she was overwhelmed with a sense of vulnerability. She felt small, fragile. Fear briefly flooded her senses- she was utterly defenseless. What if something should happen to her?

Before she could begin to panic, a warmth surrounded her. It was like being covered by a blanket. She knew she could trust that warmth, that it would protect her no matter what should happen. She knew that the source of that warmth would keep her safe.

The vision, if it could be called that, faded like the others, and her father spoke to her.

"We give you your third and final life for protection of the innocent," said Smokewhisker. "Kits are the future of the Clan, and StarClan's greatest gift. They trust their kin and their Clan completely. Remember to honor that trust and care for those who cannot care for themselves."

Sage took a breath.

"I will."

The third life was even more excruciating to receive than the first two. She tried to dig her claws into the ground to steady herself, but the water gave no purchase. She slumped to the ground, grimacing. The three StarClan cats maintained contact with her, however, lightning bolts of pain shooting from their paws through her body.

Just when she thought she would lose consciousness, they withdrew. Panting, Sage shakily got back to her feet. Smokewhisker was immediately at her side, lending her his shoulder to lean on.

"I'm proud of you, Sage," he whispered before joining the rest of the StarClan cats before her.

Juniperstar was once again at the front of the group.

"Your previous life has been stripped from you," he explained. "You have left behind you the cat you were, and now you are a new cat, a leader fit for JuniperClan. You are no longer Sage, the barn cat. You are now Sagestar, leader of JuniperClan."

Hundreds of StarClan cats chanted her new name. "Sagestar! Sagestar! Sagestar!"


	11. Chapter Eleven

When the chanting died down, Juniperstar addressed Sagestar again.

"The night is nearly over, but I do have some more things to tell you."

He began walking back to the shoreline, and Sagestar hurried to keep up.

"You have a daunting task ahead of you," he said once her paws were firmly on solid ground. "JuniperClan is in peril- you must return the Clan to the ways of the Warrior Code."

"I'll do my best," Sagestar said hesitantly. "But I don't know very much about the Code, or Clan traditions... or really anything. I only know what my father told me when I was a kit."

"I know. You must rely on Thistletail." He gestured towards the old medicine cat with his tail. "He has held true to the tenets of the Warrior Code. You must also choose a deputy by next moonhigh. I urge you to select a cat who will help you to lead the Clan down the correct path."

Sagestar wasn't sure how she could choose the best cat for the job when she knew only a small number of JuniperClan cats, nearly half of whom were still apprentices.

"Okay," she said. "I'll try."

"Good. The sun is rising now. I must return to StarClan's hunting grounds."

Sagestar noticed with a start that the sky was getting lighter. Had the ceremony taken all night? The StarClan cats were climbing the waterfall, leaping from one invisible pawhold to another until they were so high that they seemed to be just light shining on the water's surface.

Juniperstar turned and began making his way to the base of the StarFalls.

"Juniperstar, wait!" Sagestar called after the retreating StarClan cat. "I still don't know what to do!"

"You must learn," he called back over his shoulder. "May the stars light your path, Sagestar, leader of JuniperClan."

Sagestar watched as he made his way up the StarFalls with the last of the StarClan cats. The sun peeked over the treetops just as the last shimmering lights reached the top of the waterfall.

"What in the name of StarClan just happened?"

Sagestar started. She had forgotten that Cougarstrike was there.

"You know perfectly well what just happened," said Thistletail. "JuniperClan has a new leader."

Cougarstrike shook his head. "StarClan must have bees in their brain," he muttered. "I can't believe this."

Thistletail looked expectantly at Sagestar.

"So?" he asked. "What now?"

A sense of panic settled in Sagestar's chest. She hadn't realized that she would have to start leading _right away_.

"Um... let's... let's meet back up with Willow and Robinfrost. Then we should get back to the rest of the Clan."

Cougarstrike seemed to be fighting the urge to roll his eyes. "Sure thing, Sagestar."

They found the two she-cats sleeping in the Ancestor Grove. Robinfrost woke and jumped to her paws when she heard them return. Willow blinked sleepily.

"Where have you been?" she demanded, rounding on Cougarstrike. "What happened?"

Cougarstrike frowned. "I'm not sure how to explain it. Maybe they can do it better."

He jerked his head towards Sagestar and Thistletail.

Sagestar blinked wearily. She was exhausted, and wasn't sure how to explain the night's events... but she had to try.

"We saw StarClan," she began.

Robinfrost raised an incredulous eyebrow. "Are you _sure_ that's what you saw?"

Cougarstrike interrupted. "It was StarClan, Robinfrost. They spoke to us. I saw cats I knew- Smokewhisker, Fidgetburr... they're real."

Robinfrost blinked in shock.

"Smokewhisker?" Willow asked. "Our father was there?"

Sagestar smiled at her sister. "Yes. I spoke to him."

"Was Mama there?"

"No," Sagestar shook her head sadly. "She wasn't."

"What about Eaglestar? Shadowfoot?" Robinfrost asked. "My mother?"

"No," Sagestar replied. "They weren't there either. That's why Thistletail and I have to go back to the camp where they were buried. We have to perform a ceremony to help them get to StarClan."

Robinfrost and Willow looked at her, confusion etched on their faces.

"Why do you have to go?" asked Willow. "What did StarClan say?"

Sagestar glanced at Thistletail, who nodded encouragingly. She took a steadying breath.

"StarClan said that Thistletail was right- they thought I was the answer to the prophecy."

"What does that mean?" Robinfrost asked.

"I don't know all of it yet," said Sagestar. "I don't know what the 'ghosts of JuniperClan's past' are, or how I'm supposed to save us from them... but they made me the new leader of JuniperClan."

Willow stared at her sister in shock.

"I'm sorry, _what? You?"_ demanded Robinfrost. She turned to Cougarstrike. "_Her?"_

Cougarstrike nodded. "I don't get it either, but I saw it. StarClan chose Sage... Sage_star_. They gave her the extra lives and everything."

"You got... extra lives?" Willow looked utterly confused.

Sagestar nodded. "I have three lives now, a gift from StarClan to help me lead JuniperClan."

"Wow... okay," said Robinfrost, shaking her head. "Now what?"

"Now we go tell the rest of the Clan," she said. "Cougarstrike, can you lead us back?"

He blinked at her, his expression thoughtful. "Yes, Sagestar."

_Well, folks, that's what I've got written so far. I won't be publishing 10-plus chapters at a time in the future though- that's just what I already had written. Drop a comment/review and tell me what you think! Even if it's "Your writing's bad and you should feel bad." Do you think Sagestar is cut out for this? How do you think the JuniperClan cats will take the news that this barn cat is their new leader?_


	12. Chapter Twelve

All too soon, they were back at the makeshift camp. Secretly, Sagestar wished that the JuniperClan cats had bedded down further away. What was she supposed to tell them? How were they going to react?

Willow must have noticed her anxiety, because she brushed up against her. "It will be okay," she whispered.

Sagestar climbed up into the juniper tree that stood at the far end of the temporary camp. She scanned the bustling cats below nervously. They were peppering Robinfrost, Cougarstrike, and Thistletail with questions. How had they found Thistletail? They left yesterday- why had it taken them so long to get back to camp? What was going on?

Robinfrost looked flustered, as if she still didn't understand what had happened. To be honest, Sagestar felt the same way. She avoided meeting Cougarstrike's gaze... which was almost a glare at this point.

Sagestar cleared her throat. "Um... cats of JuniperClan? G-gather for a clan meeting... please?" Her voice was soft and tentative, and nobody seemed to hear her except for Cougarstrike.

He rolled his eyes and called out, "Cats of JuniperClan! Gather for a clan meeting!"

Cats exchanged surprised glances, but followed Cougarstrike's instructions. Confused, they looked to Cougarstrike for answers, but he just glowered silently.

Slowly, the JuniperClan cats noticed Sagestar sitting above them in the tree. Whispers of "Isn't that the barn cat?" and "What does she think she's doing up there?" hissed through the small crowd.

Sagestar swallowed nervously before she began again. "Cats of JuniperClan, I..."

What was she even supposed to say? Dozens of pairs of eyes stared up at her. Most looked confused. A few looked irritated, even angry.

She took a deep breath. "First, I want to thank you," she began slowly. Calmly. "You have welcomed my sister and me into the Clan with open arms. We are deeply indebted to you. I hope we can prove to be an asset to JuniperClan."

An awkward silence followed. Clearly, everyone was confused why she was addressing them like this.

"Second, I just want to report that on our patrol, Cougarstrike, Robinfrost, and I were able to find Thistletail and bring him home safely with us."

Sagestar looked at the confused cats below her. She wasn't sure how she was going to explain something that she hardly understood herself, but they needed an explanation.

"When we found Thistletail, he insisted that we go to the StarFalls immediately. He refused to come back with us until we went. That's why it took us so long to return.

Last night at the StarFalls, StarClan came and spoke to us- Thistletail, Cougarstrike, and me."

The gathered cats below fell silent. Surprise and disbelief was etched on each of their faces. Cougarstrike stepped forward.

"It's true," he said. "I saw them. Juniperstar himself was there."

A collective gasp was followed by attentive silence. Cougarstrike gave Sagestar a brusque nod.

"Juniperstar had warned Eaglestar about the fire, but he dismissed Thistletail's counsel," Sagestar said. "The StarClan cats spoke of a prophecy and the need to restore the Clan. They said that JuniperClan needed a new kind of leader to lead them back on the path towards StarClan."

She paused now, not sure how to continue.

"Who is the new leader?" came a voice from the back of the crowd.

"Me," Sagestar replied simply.

A more profound, shocked silence fell over the camp. Sagestar waited anxiously for a reaction.

"I don't believe it," said Emberglow softly. "She's a kittypet!"

"We don't need some kittypet telling us what to do!" agreed a dust-colored tom.

"She's making it up!" hissed the she-cat sitting next to him.

Sagestar felt her fur prickle indignantly. She wasn't a kittypet! Before she could respond, however, Cougarstrike did.

"I don't understand it either," he sighed. "But StarClan has spoken. I saw nine StarClan cats give her the extra lives. I heard them give her the name of Sagestar. She is our leader, and the Code says that the word of our leader is Code."

Sagestar blinked in surprise. She hadn't expected this kind of support from the cranky warrior. The rest of the clan seemed surprised as well.

Robinfrost began the chant. "Sagestar. Sagestar. Sagestar."

After another long pause, a few others joined in.

"Sagestar. Sagestar. Sagestar."

Before long, nearly the whole Clan was chanting their new leader's name.

"Sagestar. Sagestar. Sagestar."

When the chanting died down, the cats again were staring at her with varying levels of animosity and disdain.

"I... um... I think we have a lot of work to do," Sagestar said. "The JuniperClan camp was destroyed, so we need a new place to live."

"We could go back," said a pretty she-cat with mottled brown spots. "It can't be that bad. We can rebuild it."

Robinfrost shook her head. "I saw it, Mothflight. There's nothing left to rebuild."

"Then what about here?" demanded the dust-colored tom who had spoken up earlier. "We've already settled down here, it seems safe... why should we move the whole Clan again?"

Cougarstrike turned to Sagestar. "Lizardclaw has a point. We can rebuild right here. There's no need to make everyone move again- we have injured cats who need to be taken care of."

Sagestar swished her tail thoughtfully. It would be difficult to move the whole Clan, and things did seem relatively safe here. She quickly scanned the makeshift camp. There were a few scattered makeshift dens, but it looked like many of the JuniperClan cats had been sleeping more or less out in the open, and there was no barrier around the camp to provide any protection from outside attacks.

"This may work," she conceded. "But I'm worried that it isn't the best place for us. I think we should send a patrol out to look for possible new camp locations... is there anyone who would like to go?"

Robinfrost leapt to her paws. "I'll go! Quietstorm, will you go with me?"

The big, amber-colored tom nodded and padded to his mate's side.

"Thank you," Sagestar said. "I think I'd like one more cat to go with you, though. Just in case."

"Why don't you go, Lizardclaw?" Cougarstrike suggested. "Since you've got such strong opinions on the matter."

The tom scowled, but agreed to go.

"Good, thank you." Sagestar's tail twitched nervously. Everyone was still watching her.

"Um, thanks for your attention, everyone. You can... go back to whatever you were doing before, I guess."

Awkwardly, Sagestar jumped down from the tree and approached Thistletail. The old cat nodded at her in greeting.

"Well done, Sagestar. They will have to learn to respect you as the leader of JuniperClan, it seems."

Sagestar shook her head. "No, they're right to question it. I have a lot to learn. Their respect is something I'll have to work hard to earn."

The old medicine cat gave her a searching look. "Well said, young one. Shall we be off?"

"Off?" Sagestar raised a brow. "Where?"

"To the old camp," Thistletail responded matter-of-factly. "We have a duty to perform the burial rites for the fallen of JuniperClan, so that they may join the ranks of our ancestors in StarClan."

Sagestar had completely forgotten about her promise to the StarClan cats.

"Oh... I don't think we should go right now, Thistletail."

"But as leader, it is your duty! You swore to StarClan-"

Sagestar sighed. "I know, Thistletail. And I do plan to do it, and soon. But you are needed here, right now. A lot of cats were injured in the escape, and they need you to tend to their wounds."

Thistletail gave her another long, piercing look.

"I have no herbs," he said finally. "But I will see what I can do. We must go before nightfall, though."

Sagestar sighed. "Okay, but only if things are all okay here."

The old cat sniffed in approval and trundled off to check on his clanmates.

Sagestar sighed. There was so much to take care of. She was responsible now for the well-being of all of these cats... and she didn't even know the names of most of them.

"Hey, Sage! Er... Sagestar!" Robinfrost trotted up to her, plumed tail waving happily above her. "This is Quietstorm, my mate. I don't think you've actually met yet."

The huge tom dipped his head in greeting.

"Hi, Quietstorm. Thanks for volunteering to go look for a new camp. When will you be ready to leave?"

"We'll leave right away," Robinfrost said. "Thank Cougarstrike for sticking us with Lizardclaw, will you? At least he'll be out of your way," she added with a purr of amusement.

"Thanks, Robinfrost." Sagestar smiled at her friend. "Be careful, and come back by moonhigh if you can."

The silky she-cat smiled back. "You got it." She turned to her mate. "Come on, let's get going."

Sagestar watched while Robinfrost fetched a grumbling Lizardclaw and trotted off, her feathery tail waving in the breeze.


	13. Chapter Thirteen

Sagestar realized suddenly that with Robinfrost gone, she had no friends in the Clan. Strange cats- _her_ cats- watched her as she walked through the camp. She recognized a few, but the majority were complete strangers. _I'll have to get to know all these cats,_ she thought. _I'm responsible for all of them now_.

However, whenever she approached, the cats would fall silent, dropping conversations mid-sentence. A few, like Chickadeepaw, would greet her with smiles, but most of the cats avoided talking to her.

From what she overheard, they were all talking about her. It made sense- a stranger had just joined their Clan and was now calling herself their leader.

"Who do you think she'll make her deputy?" whispered one cat to another, almost out of earshot.

"I don't know... probably Robinfrost. They're kind of friends, I think?"

"I don't care what she says- no kittypet is going to tell me what to do!"

"But Cougarstrike said he saw StarClan..."

Deciding she'd heard enough, Sagestar decided to look for her sister.

She for the simplicity of her life from just a few days before. It had just been her, Willow, and their mother, with their cozy barn and plentiful, fat mice. Homesickness gnawed at her belly like a hunger. She wished she could curl up and fall asleep, so that she could wake and learn that this had all been some kind of dream.

Sagestar sighed and looked around the camp for Willow. Her sister would know what to say. Willow was kind and thoughtful and surely would be able to console her right now.

Sagestar's heart sank when she saw her though. She was busy talking to Thistletail, probably about the kits she was expecting. Sagestar knew better than to interrupt right now.

With another sigh, Sagestar laid down in a patch of sunshine to wait. The warmth was soothing. She closed her eyes.

Before she could doze off, someone sat next to her. She opened one eye to see a large golden tom looming over her.

"Sagestar, I'd like to talk to you." Cougarstrike wasn't smiling- did he ever smile?

Sagestar stretched. "Okay. What is it?"

"I don't think you should be the leader," he said. "You're inexperienced. You may have Clan blood, but you're not a Clan cat. You don't belong here."

Sagestar blinked with surprise. "But... you were there. You heard the StarClan cats..."

Cougarstrike nodded. "Yes. And that's why I accept you as JuniperClan's leader. I just feel like I should tell you that I disagree with the choice they made. JuniperClan is in trouble now, and needs a strong leader now more than ever. Why StarClan chose a cat like you is beyond me... they must have bees in their brain."

Sagestar narrowed her eyes. "Is that all you wanted to tell me?"

Cougarstrike shook his head. "No. I wanted to say that even though you may not be fit to be leader, you can count on me. I am loyal to JuniperClan, so I will be loyal to you. There are some cats who are talking about 'taking the Clan back.' A few have even asked me if I was going to take charge... but I will stand behind StarClan's choice to make you leader. Even though I don't agree with it."

"I don't understand," Sagestar said. "But thank you."

The big, scarred tom simply nodded before stalking away.

Before Sagestar could close her eyes again, she was interrupted once more. This time it was Thistletail.

"Sagestar, I have seen to the wounded. It is time we left to perform the burial rites."

Sagestar got to her paws, stretching. "Right. Just a moment, and we can go. I need to take care of something real quick."

Without waiting for the medicine cat's response, Sagestar dashed after Cougarstrike, who was talking to an old black she-cat.

"Cougarstrike, I'm leaving now with Thistletail. Can you keep an eye on things? Maybe ask some warriors to go out to hunt or something? I'm sure everyone's getting hungry."

Cougarstrike nodded. "Of course, Sagestar. I'll take care of it."

"Thank you. We'll be back soon."

Sagestar hurried back to Thistletail. "Okay, let's go."

Traveling with Thistletail wasn't fun. The old cat moved slowly, and never seemed to stop talking.

"Surprisingly, very few of the cats were badly injured. I have asked Chickadeepaw to keep an eye on the worst of them while we are away."

"Chickadeepaw... is she your apprentice?" Sagestar asked.

"No," replied the shaggy old cat. "But she often has helped me care for the elders. She will be fine for a short time while we go to perform the burial rites."

"Right... okay. Who is her mentor, then?"

Thistletail hung his head. "Her mentor was Thrushleap. She was one of the cats who fell in the fire. A fine warrior."

Sagestar frowned. "I'm sorry... I guess she'll need a new mentor?"

Thistletail nodded. "Yes, but that is not the most immediate concern that we must address. You need a deputy. The Code requires that you select your deputy before the Clan by moonhigh tonight."

Sagestar stopped in her tracks. "T-tonight? I don't even know the names of most of the Clan! How am I supposed to choose someone to be my deputy if I don't even know the cats in the Clan?"

Thistletail trudged on. "You need to trust in StarClan, young Sagestar."

"Trust in StarClan?" Sagestar demanded, frustration building. "I don't know anything about them, either! Are they going to show up again and tell me who to choose?"

"StarClan rarely works that way. They may send a sign, or speak to us in dreams, but they rarely show themselves as they did last night."

"Really?" Sagestar hurried a little to catch back up with the medicine cat.

"Yes," he said. "They rarely show in such large numbers, even to appoint a new leader. You should be honored."

"I guess... but why? Why was it different for me? Who were all those cats?"

Thistletail sighed. "I suppose it would be best to start from the beginning, and tell you about the birth of JuniperClan.

"Many, many seasons ago, there was a loner called Juniper. In that time, there were no Clans, no bands of rogues- only cats living alone or in pairs.

"One year, the frosts came early. That leaf-bare was longer and colder than any that had come before. The cats were struggling to survive. Juniper was worried for his mate, who was expecting kits. He gathered the surrounding lone cats and convinced them to band together for survival. Together, they would be stronger.

"And so, Juniper became the first leader of JuniperClan."

Sagestar frowned. "I met Juniperstar... didn't he receive extra lives from StarClan and become Juniperstar when he became a leader?"

Thistletail shook his shaggy head. "No, because StarClan had not yet been founded. Juniperstar received his title after he joined StarClan."

Sagestar blinked in surprise. It had never occurred to her that StarClan had to be founded just like JuniperClan had.

"As I said, the winter was harsh," Thistletail continued. "One cat, called Berrypetal, knew something of healing herbs and helped the new Clan survive. However, Juniper's mate kitted early. Berrypetal managed to save the queen, but the kit was too small and weak. It survived less than a moon, dying before it even received a name. That kit was the first to pass from JuniperClan.

"Berrypetal was devastated that she had failed. She carried the kit to a beautiful clearing near a waterfall. She buried the kit, marking its grave with crossed branches- a juniper branch for the Clan, and sage for protection from evil. She told the kit that it could now hunt among the stars. And so the first medicine cat performed the first burial ceremony.

"The spirit of the kit heard her words. All alone, the kit found the way up the waterfall, climbing to the stars. And so the unnamed kit became the first ancestor of StarClan, returning to guide its clanmates up the StarFalls when they received the same rites."

"I saw the kit!" exclaimed Sagestar. "They were one of the cats to give me my lives- Berrypetal and Juniperstar, too!"

This time it was Thistletail who stopped in his tracks, staring wide-eyed at Sagestar.

"What?"

"Was... was there a warrior called Copperwhisper as well?" he asked softly.

Sagestar remembered the bright ginger cat who had helped to give her first life. "Yeah, who was he? Did you know him?"

"No, I didn't know him," he said slowly. "Copperwhisper was the first warrior to fall in defense of JuniperClan... unbelievable."

"What is it?"

"Together, Juniperstar, Berrypetal, Copperwhisper, and the kit... the Leader, the Healer, the Warrior, and the Unnamed Kit... they form the Council of StarClan. Many medicine cats and leaders never speak to any of them... but all four? I don't think... I don't think any cat has spoken to all four of them since the foundation of the Clan."


	14. Chapter Fourteen

They continued the rest of the journey in silence. From the corner of her eye, Sagestar noticed that Thistletail kept looking at her with a curious expression, turning away whenever she caught him staring.

Sagestar wondered what it all meant. Learning about the Council of StarClan had only raised more questions- who really were they? What does the Council do? Why didn't they say anything about the Council when they spoke to her and gave her the extra lives? Why had they chosen to appear to her?

She shook her head. There was no way that she was going to get the answers now. She had to focus on the tasks in front of her: performing the burial rites, then returning to the Clan in time to appoint a deputy... and choosing someone to be her deputy.

Before she could start worrying more about who she would choose, they arrived at the ruined camp. A patch of freshly-turned earth in the middle of the camp stood in stark contrast to the scorched ground around it- the grave that she had helped dig just days before , which contained the bodies of over half of JuniperClan.

With a sense of regret, Sagestar realized she knew only a handful of names of the cats who were buried here, yet she was now responsible for their surviving kin.

Under Thistletail's direction, Sagestar fetched a branch from the juniper tree that stood at one end of camp. She had to climb to the top of the tree to find a branch that wasn't entirely destroyed by the fire. Thistletail found a branch of sage as well, then joined her at the grave.

"Normally, this part of the ceremony would be done with the Clan, and would be personalized for the fallen cat. Then there would be a procession to the Ancestor Grove for the burial," he explained. "However, in this case, we will have to do it differently."

He told her what to say, having her repeat back to him a few of the trickier phrases.

Sagestar took a deep breath before she began.

"We stand here before StarClan to remember the fallen cats of JuniperClan. They were all important and unique members of the Clan, who each contributed much to the Clan."

She looked down at the soft soil that covered their bodies.

"You will all be missed by your kin and your Clan. May the stars light your path."

Sagestar gently placed her juniper branch on the ground. Thistletail placed his sage branch over it, marking the grave.

"These were loyal cats," he said. "who lived their lives according to the Code, in defense of JuniperClan. This juniper branch is a reminder of the clan that they leave behind.

"Now their paws are on a new path. May StarClan guide them and lead them to their new home in safety. May this sage branch provide the protection from evil as they begin this new journey."

Together, Sagestar and Thistletail sat in silence for a few moments. After a while, Thistletail got to his paws. Without a word, Sagestar followed.

They walked in silence, Thistletail a few paces ahead. Sagestar was lost in thought, preoccupied with her next task.

Who was she going to choose as her deputy? Mentally, she ran through a list of the cats she knew.

Robinfrost was the first cat she'd met. She was a good hunter, and would be a good support to her. However, she seemed to have a pretty casual view on the Code, and Sagestar wasn't sure that she would be a good fit for the role of deputy.

Her mate, Quietstorm, looked like a strong warrior, but Sagestar knew very little about him. In fact, she realized, she didn't think she'd even heard him speak at all. He seemed to be as silent as Robinfrost was talkative.

The cats who found them at the ruined camp, Elkpaw, Chickadeepaw, and Emberglow, didn't seem like good choices, either. Two of them were still apprentices, obviously, while Emberglow was openly against her even being in the Clan.

Lizardclaw would likewise be a poor choice. It was clear from his outburst at her first Clan meeting that he was going to cause problems as she tried to gain the Clan's respect as their leader.

Then there was Cougarstrike. He clearly had no respect for her. He was a good warrior, but he was so infuriating! He was arrogant and had even told her directly that he didn't think she was fit to be leader. Just thinking about it made her blood boil.

She didn't feel like she was any closer to having a good answer when she and Thistletail arrived back at the temporary camp. The moon was nearing its peak, though, and she knew she had to decide right away.

Robinfrost, Quietstorm, and Lizardclaw were back, but she didn't stop to talk to them just yet. Instead, she climbed to the lowest branch of the nearest tree and called to the cats below.

"Cats of JuniperClan, gather now for a Clan meeting!"

The JuniperClan cats crowded in below her. A few muttered darkly to their neighbors, and she saw Emberglow roll his eyes, but soon the entire Clan was gathered below her.

"It is nearly moonhigh, and it is time for me to choose a deputy to help me to lead this Clan," she told them.

"StarClan knows she'll need the help," Lizardclaw muttered, just loud enough for the entire Clan to hear.

Sagestar ignored him. "I know that I'm new to the Clan, and don't know many of you very well. But, I still think that this cat, should they accept, will be the best fit for the role of deputy."

She looked over the expectant faces below her, and recalled the words that Thistletail had told her earlier.

"I, Sagestar, leader of JuniperClan, stand before StarClan to appoint a deputy over the Clan, to help me to lead and protect the Clan, and to take my place as leader if I should fall. May StarClan approve of my choice."

She breathed deeply, willing her nerves not to show. She couldn't go back on this choice later- now was not the time for hesitation.

"The cat I have chosen to be my deputy is Cougarstrike." She met the scarred tomcat's gaze. "Do you accept this role, along with the duties and responsibilities it entails?"

Cougarstrike dipped his head. "I do," he said firmly.

Sagestar leapt down from the tree branch and licked the top of his head, like Thistletail had told her. He raised his head, and Sagestar began the chant.

"Cougarstrike! Cougarstrike! Cougarstrike!"

The whole clan joined in, shouting their new deputy's name. Cougarstrike's face shone with pride as his clanmates crowded in to congratulate him.

Sagestar only hoped she had made the right choice.


	15. Chapter Fifteen

Robinfrost had wanted to talk to Sagestar right after she had named Cougarstrike as deputy, but changed her mind when she saw how tired the new leader was. Sagestar hadn't realized it, but it had been two days since she'd had any sleep. She thanked her friend and found a quiet spot next to Willow, and was soon asleep.

The next day, she gathered Cougarstrike and the cats she had sent out the day before to look for a new camp.

"Did you find anything?" Sagestar directed the question at Quietstorm, but it was Robinfrost who answered.

"Well, yes and no." The she-cat's voice was bright and chipper. "There were a few places that could make good camps, but none of them were exactly perfect."

"I didn't expect that there would be anything perfect," said Cougarstrike. "What did you find?"

"Well, there was one place by the river, but it was kind of a mess, and maybe there was a fox den there? There was another spot, kind of by the forest-border... it was really nice, but it's quite a ways away. There was also a twoleg footpath by it that Lizardclaw wouldn't shut up about, but I don't think it's a problem."

"There was dog-scent all over the place!" Lizardclaw hissed. "It's obvious that twolegs bring those slobbering beasts there all the time. I don't want to have to deal with that whenever the weather is nice enough to lure the twolegs out, you mouse-brained-"

Quietstorm gave a low growl, silencing the smaller tom. After a moment, the huge tabby turned his green gaze on Sagestar.

"Lizardclaw is exaggerating. The dog signs weren't fresh." His voice was deep and steady, surprisingly soothing after his frightening warning growl. "It is far, though. The wounded might not have an easy time getting there."

Sagestar nodded. "Okay. Were there any other places that seemed good?"

Quietstorm shrugged. "There were other places, but these were the best two. The others were too exposed or too small to contain the whole Clan, especially after we recover from the fire."

Suddenly, everyone was looking at Sagestar. She realized that they were expecting her to make a decision, and panic settled in her chest.

"Um... I don't know," she said. "Maybe... maybe Cougarstrike and I should see these potential campsites and then I can make a decision."

Lizardclaw rolled his eyes. Sagestar fought the urge to swipe at him.

This time it was Cougarstrike who intervened. "Show some respect," he growled.

This seemed to be the final straw for Lizardclaw. "Respect!" he exclaimed. "Why? Because she says a bunch of dead cats told her to come and start telling us what to do? She's nothing but a /kittypet!/ She doesn't know how to even /live/ in a Clan, let alone /lead/ one!"

Cougarstrike took a step towards him, neck fur bristling. "It's true. I was there, I saw it. Sagestar is the leader now, and the Code demands that we follow her."

Lizardclaw narrowed his eyes, meeting Cougarstrike's gaze. "That's awfully convenient," he said softly. "You were the only other cat there, the only one to back up her story... besides old Thistletail, but everyone knows he's got bees in his brain."

"What are you saying?" Cougarstrike's voice was low and even, but his eyes glinted dangerously.

"I'm saying that you backed her story up so that she'd name you deputy," Lizardclaw spat. "You saw your chance to take charge, and you took it. It's obvious! Do you think we're stupid?"

Sagestar noticed that the entire Clan was gathered around, watching. Some of them seemed to be holding their breath. Others, like Emberglow, were nodding and muttering under their breath. It was as if they had all been waiting for something like this to happen. Sagestar wondered how many of them agreed with Lizardclaw.

"That's stupid," Cougarstrike snarled. "If I was really after power, would I have let a kittypet take control of the Clan? No! I could have been leader! Everyone expected it! /I/ expected it! After getting us away from the fire, I could have easily just called myself the new leader of the Clan, and nobody would have bat an eye."

Cougarstrike glanced around at the watching cats. "I'm not your leader, because StarClan didn't wish me to be. For whatever reason, they chose Sagestar. I don't understand it. But I trust our ancestors, and I trust the Code. So if anyone has a problem with that, you can take that up with _me_."

The whole Clan seemed to be frozen in a shocked silence. Cougarstrike gazed around at the surrounding cats, as if daring them to challenge him.

"You're a fool." Lizardclaw was glaring up at Cougarstrike, contempt rolling off of him in waves. He turned his hate-filled gaze towards Sagestar. "I won't listen to this useless kittypet!"

With a deep growl, Cougarstrike lashed out. His claws raked across the other tom's face, leaving bloody gouges in his cheek and knocking him to the ground. Before he could get back up, Cougarstrike pinned him down with one paw, claws still unsheathed.

"Sagestar," he said calmly. "What do you wish me to do with this cat?"

Sagestar blinked in surprise. "W-what?"

"Lizardclaw has broken the Code by defying his leader. What will his punishment be?"

Sagestar felt the eyes of every cat in the Clan upon her. She realized that this decision was important. How she chose to handle this was going to define how the Clan saw her from here on out. Should she banish him from the Clan, chase him off the territory with his tail between his legs?

That didn't seem right.

"Lizardclaw needs to learn to respect the Warrior Code. He has to remember to put the good of the Clan before his own opinions." She lowered her gaze to meet Lizardclaw's. "You are hereby relieved of your warrior title. You are confined to the camp, and are to assist Thistletail in seeing to the needs of the wounded. When you have proven that you are loyal to your Clan and the Code, you will be reinstated as a warrior."

Shocked murmurs ran throughout the makeshift camp. Sagestar wasn't sure if what she had done was a real punishment- could she really demote a warrior like that? She tried not to allow her uncertainty to show. Maybe she should have just sent him away?

Shaking herself, she wove through the muttering cats to Thistletail.

"Sorry to stick him with you," she said. "I thought you could use some help, though, since you don't have an apprentice."

Thistletail eyed her again in his curious, searching way. "Yes... the help will be good."

Sagestar shifted her paws uncomfortably. "Just... keep him busy, if you can. I don't want him lazing around camp just because he can't go on patrols and stuff."

Thistletail nodded. "There is no need to worry about that. There is much work to be done."

"You can have the apprentices help too, if you need to ." Cougarstrike appeared suddenly at Sagestar's shoulder, making her jump. "Most of them are getting stir-crazy since they haven't been able to train much since the fire."

"Yes, thank you Cougarstrike."

The old medicine cat lumbered away to where Lizardclaw was sulking in a corner, probably to check on the wounds Cougarstrike had left on his face.

Sagestar sighed, then made her way back to where Robinfrost and Quietstorm sat. Cougarstrike followed close behind.

Sagestar ignored the Clan members who were all still watching her. "Why don't you show us those campsites now?"


	16. Chapter Sixteen

They decided to go to the further potential campsite first. Sagestar was still tired, but was glad to be out of the camp. Things were a lot simpler when she didn't have dozens of cats watching her every step, judging every move she made.

She was also glad to be with Robinfrost again. She was chattering merrily as if nothing dramatic had happened. Her unaffected attitude had an effect on the whole group, and soon even Cougarstrike was chatting amiably with Quietstorm.

Sagestar was intrigued by the giant tom. At first she had been simply intimidated by his massive size, and it seemed like he hardly spoke at all. The few times she had heard him speak, her curiosity had only deepened. He was different, somehow, from the other JuniperClan cats.

"So... Quietstorm?" she asked, trotting to keep pace with his long strides. "What's your story? Have you always been a part of JuniperClan?"

The big tabby shook his head, but it was his mate who responded.

"Oh, no," Robinfrost chirped. "Quietstorm joined the clan about... what was it? Two, three leaf-bares ago?"

Quietstorm nodded. "Three."

"I found him, wandering in the woods," Robinfrost continued. "He was in pretty rough shape, so I brought him back to camp and had Thistletail fix him up. He decided to stay, and Eaglestar made him a warrior soon afterwards."

"He's been a huge asset to the Clan," added Cougarstrike.

Quietstorm dipped his head, seemingly embarrassed. "I'm just thankful they took me in. I found a home here. A family."

Robinfrost purred and brushed against her mate. "We've been together ever since then."

Sagestar smiled. "That's wonderful. Do you have kits?"

"Um... no." Robinfrost's ever-present smile faltered. "We... I can't have kits."

Sagestar's stomach dropped. "Oh... I'm so sorry... I shouldn't have-"

"Don't worry about it." Robinfrost's smile was firmly back in place. "Really, it's fine. Sure, I'd love to be a mother. But I have Quietstorm and I don't need more than that."

Quietstorm nuzzled his mate, nearly knocking over the much smaller, slender she-cat. She laughed, then quickly changed the subject. Sagestar wondered how much of the laughter and chattiness was just a mask for the pain that her friend was hiding.

Soon enough, Robinfrost announced that they had arrived. Sagestar had to admit to herself that she wasn't sure what she was looking at. They seemed to be in a patch of forest like any other. She glanced over at Cougarstrike, but he looked thoughtful, clearly seeing something that she didn't.

"Robinfrost, why don't you walk me through it?" she asked, trying to sound confident.

"Sure thing."

She pushed her way past some dry grasses, Sagestar trailing after her. She heard Cougarstrike and Quietstorm following behind.

"This could be sort of a camp entrance," Robinfrost said. "And over here, there's space under this fallen log that would make a nice den, maybe a nursery."

Sagestar sniffed the log. It was solid, with no signs of decay. Robinfrost had continued to some bushes with small, waxy leaves.

"We could weave more sticks and branches into this, and it would make a couple good-sized dens, maybe for the warriors and apprentices."

Sagestar tried to picture it, but the bushes didn't look anything like dens to her. Cougarstrike, however, was nodding appreciatively.

"That just leaves the medicine den. Where would that be?" Sagestar asked.

"And the leader's den," added Cougarstrike. "You'll need your own den, Sagestar."

"Right," said Robinfrost. "I was thinking maybe over here, under this rock. It would need to be dug out a bit more, but it could be a nice, cozy den. There's also a nice big hollow under those tree roots, that would be a perfect medicine den."

"Okay... what about the dog-scent that Lizardclaw was going on about?" Sagestar asked.

"Believe me, it's nothing. There haven't been dogs here in ages."

"Just show us where the scent was," Cougarstrike said.

Robinfrost shrugged and led the way out of the "camp" and up a small hill. At the top of the hill was a long, flat stretch of dirt that stretched as far as Sagestar could see. It seemed uncomfortably familiar, and she, too picked up a faint scent of dogs.

"I don't like this," she said. "This looks an awful lot like a twoleg monsterpath."

"Monsters can't fit here," reasoned Robinfrost. "It's barely wide enough for a couple of twolegs to walk on!"

"So maybe they just walk here," Sagestar agreed. "But it seems like they like to come here a lot, and they bring dogs with them. They haven't been here for a while, but I would bet my tail that they come back. They might just be avoiding it because of the smoke."

"She's probably right," Cougarstrike conceded. "Twolegs only seem to come out when the weather is nice."

Robinfrost shrugged and led the group back down the hill. "So, should we make camp here?" she asked.

Sagestar looked around the potential new home. It looked pretty nice, and fairly well protected, with cozy dens ready for the Clan cats to move into. Still, she couldn't shake the sense of unease about having twolegs passing so close to the camp.

"Why don't you show us the other one, then we can decide."

Robinfrost shrugged again, then trotted off, leading the group with her plumed tail waving in the air like a banner.

It was well past sunhigh by the time they arrived. The second place that Robinfrost, Quietstorm, and Lizardclaw had found was right on the banks of the river. Sagestar's view of the camp was obscured by a large, overgrown wild rosebush.

Robinfrost pushed her way into the rosebush, Sagestar and the others close behind. After a few moments of fighting through the branches and thorns, they emerged in a small clearing. On one side was the river, a small juniper tree growing out over it. The tree's roots seemed to cling to the riverbank, counterbalancing the tree that stretched out over the water. Under the roots there was a hole in the ground, dark and welcoming.

To the left of the tree was a pile of rocks. The rosebushes' branches seemed to creep up and through the stones, so little pink flowers peeked through the cracks.

Opposite the rockpile, the clearing sloped down to a flat rock that sat right at the water's edge. The water there was calm and still compared to the main riverway, a little eddy protected from the river's current. Sagestar could see minnows darting about in the shallow water.

Again, Robinfrost walked through the camp, pointing out potential den locations. The hole under the tree apparently used to be home to river otters, and created a tunnel down to the flat rock by the shallows, with a couple of side chambers dug out. It was cozy, but the reek of the previous tenants, though stale, was overpowering. Sagestar was thankful to be able to make her way back out to fresh air again.

The rock pile also held a few potential dens. Behind the rubble, there were two deep, dark openings with room for plenty of cats.

Again, Robinfrost suggested weaving branches and sticks, this time in the rosebush, to make a nursery den.

Sagestar looked around the camp. There were no signs of twolegs near here, and the thorny rosebush on one side and the river on the other made for a well-protected camp. It was also much closer to the current temporary camp, where the rest of the Clan waited for them.

On the other hand, this camp would take a lot of work to get ready. There wasn't a single den that was livable at this point, unless you counted the stinky otter den.

"So, what do you think? Which one is better?" Robinfrost asked, snapping Sagestar from her thoughts.

"Um... I'm not sure," she admitted. "Cougarstrike? What do you think?"

Cougarstrike shook his head. "I'm not the leader, Sagestar. You are. You have to be the one to choose."

Sagestar's pelt pricked with irritation. "I'm not asking you to choose," she snapped. "I just want you to tell me what you think."

The scarred tom licked his shoulder thoughtfully. "I think... there are things I really like about the other camp. It would be a lot easier to settle in there- there isn't as much work to be done. But... this seems safer. It's a good, central location, well protected. But the Clan would have their work cut out for them here."

"That's what I thought, too," Sagestar agreed. She still wasn't sure, but she couldn't let Cougarstrike know that. She had to show him, and the rest of the Clan, that she had what it takes to be a strong, decisive leader.

"So, what will it be?" Robinfrost asked.

"We'll bring the Clan here." Sagestar tried to sound confident and decisive. Hopefully nobody would be able to see the worry she was actually feeling- had she made the right choice for JuniperClan?


	17. Chapter Seventeen

Luckily, it wasn't too far of a walk to get back to where the rest of the Clan was temporarily camped. Sagestar was sure that even the wounded cats would have no problem getting to their new home.

When they got back, Sagestar noticed Willow sitting alone, separated from the JuniperClan cats. A pang of guilt struck her - she had all but abandoned her sister as she dove into her new role as leader of the Clan.

"Cougarstrike, tell the Clan about the new camp and have everyone get ready to go. I think we should head out tomorrow."

Cougarstrike nodded, a scowl on his face. Sagestar wondered if he thought they should go sooner, but decided she didn't care.

"Maybe you should put together a hunting patrol, too," Sagestar added. "I've got some things to check on."

Cougarstrike's scowl didn't lift, but he didn't argue, either. He simply stalked off to the center of the makeshift camp.

Sagestar sighed. She had hoped, with his confrontation with Lizardclaw earlier, that Cougarstrike would be more of an ally now. He seemed to still have just as much disdain for her as before, though.

Behind her, she heard Cougarstrike telling the Clan about the new camp location that they had chosen. Ignoring him, she made her way to where her sister sat alone, settling down at her side.

"Are you ok? I'm sorry... I didn't mean to leave you here all alone."

"I'm fine," Willow sniffed. Had she been crying? "I just... I miss our home, and Mama. I don't... I never wanted to be a warrior, like you did. I don't belong here, Sage. I'm not a Clan cat. And everyone here knows it. I should just go."

"What? Go?" Sagestar blinked incredulously. "Go where? Willow, we need to stick together. You're all the family I have. I need you here with me."

"Nobody wants me here," Willow said, her voice so low it was barely audible. "They're saying I'll just be a burden to the Clan."

Sagestar's ears flattened. "Who told you that?" she growled. She didn't know how, but she was going to shred whoever had spoken to her sister that way.

Willow shook her head. "They didn't say it _to_ me, I just heard them talking. I'm not sure who it was specifically... none of them talk to me, except Thistletail. But he only talks to me about my kits, and he's busy with all the cats that got hurt escaping the fire."

Sagestar gently licked her sister's cheek. "Hang in there. We've both got an uphill battle before we're really accepted here. I may be leader, but the Clan certainly hasn't accepted me either. We need each other."

"Okay." Willow gave her sister a little smile. "Thanks, Sage... er, Sagestar, I mean."

"Sage is fine," Sagestar purred. "Do you want a warrior name? That might help you fit in as part of the Clan a little better."

"I don't know, maybe," said Willow. "But not now. Maybe once we're settled in at the new camp."

"Sounds good," Sagestar agreed, getting to her paws. "I'm going to check in with Thistletail. Why don't you go visit with Robinfrost? Maybe she can introduce you to some of the other cats or something."

"Okay. Thanks again, Sage." Willow got to her feet too, and made her way to where Robinfrost and Quietstorm were sitting with a few other cats.

Sagestar watched as her sister was enthusiastically greeted by Robinfrost. She felt a wave of gratitude for the friendly she-cat. At least she had one cat in the Clan that she could count as a friend.

She found Thistletail tending to a small black cat. She looked incredibly old, and so thin that Sagestar could see her spine jutting out all along her back. She seemed to have burnt her paw pads, and was complaining loudly.

"Careful, you old badger!" she growled. "That stings!" Her voice was gravelly and deep for a she-cat.

Chickadeepaw appeared beside the medicine cat, carrying a bundle of herbs. She placed the herbs on the ground before facing the patient.

"Oh, you're fine, Littlefang," she said gently. "Why don't you tell me one of your stories while I put some more herbs on your paws?"

"I don't see what good it will do," Littlefang growled. "But go ahead if it makes you feel better."

With a smile, Chickadeepaw took over the care of the old she-cat.

"Thistletail, can I talk to you?" Sagestar asked.

The medicine cat, assured that Littlefang was now well taken care of, nodded and followed her a short distance off.

"How is everyone?" Sagestar asked. "Are there many that are badly injured?"

Thistletail shook his shaggy head. "No, thank StarClan. There are a few cuts and minor burns, but for the most part, those of us who survived managed to escape unscathed."

"That's good."

"Yes," agreed Thistletail. "Only a few need much care, which is fortunate. I lost my entire stores of herbs with the fire. I'm worried about what may happen if sickness comes during leafbare."

"I hadn't thought of that," Sagestar admitted. "Is there anything we can do? Should we send out cats to collect herbs?"

"I've already sent out a group of apprentices, along with Lizardclaw. It won't be enough, but it will be something at least."

Sagestar nodded. "Who did you send?"

"Swanpaw, Elkpaw, and Nightpaw."

"Um... I know Elkpaw, but who are the others? Is that all of the apprentices, or are there more?"

Thistletail nodded. "Those three, plus Chickadeepaw. She stayed to help me tend to the wounded. Swanpaw, the one with the yellow-gold face, is Lizardclaw's own apprentice. Elkpaw, as you know, is Robinfrost's sister and the apprentice of your deputy. Nightpaw is the only tom of the group. His mentor is Bearspeckle. Chickadeepaw lost her mentor to the fire."

Sagestar repeated the names of the cats in her head, trying to remember them. "Bearspeckle... I don't think I know that cat. Who are they?"

Thistletail nodded toward a big, rust-colored she-cat with a squarish face, who was lounging in a patch of sunshine.

Sagestar sighed. There were just so many cats in the Clan that she didn't know.

"Can you tell me all of the warriors' names?" she asked.

"Well, you know Cougarstrike,Robinfrost, and Quietstorm already," Thistletail began. "You've also met Lizardclaw and Emberglow. There's also Bearspeckle, Honeyshard, Mothflight, Lavenderhaze, Puddletuft, Pepperstep, Dandelionleap, and Mossbelly."

"Okay... thanks." There was no way she was going to remember all of those names, let alone guess which cat was which.

Thistletail chuckled. "Don't worry, you'll learn all about every one of these cats. Their names, their stories, their needs... just give yourself some time and get to know them."

Sagestar nodded. "Okay, thanks. Do I dare ask how many elders there are?"

Thistletail hung his head. "Only two who survived the fire," he said softly. "Littlefang and Dewpelt. No queens or kits."

Sagestar felt a wave of sadness wash over her. So much had been lost. She hoped that a new home would help the Clan find a way to move forward and start again.

* * *

_Thanks for reading! Please shoot me a review if you're enjoying the story or have some constructive feedback. Do you want me to update on a regular schedule? Is there a part of the story or JuniperClan lore that's confusing? I'll try to respond to every review I get! - Spaghetti_


	18. Update Announcement

Hey there, readers, Spaghettipaw here. S

for the long unannounced hiatus- with COVID-19 changing everything about everyday life, my work situation has been all over the place- from not being sure if I'll have a job in the beginning stages, to being busier than ever and pretty overwhelmed more recently. A minor car accident and finally addressing some other medical issues were just the frosting on the cake, and projects like this story took a back burner for a few months.

Now, at last, I feel like I'm finally in a place where I can work on things like this again, and _boy oh boy_ do I have some ideas. I've got big plans for Sagestar and JuniperClan, and I'm excited to share them with you- but in order to do it well, I'm going to have to make some changes... big ones.

I've got a really good idea of where I want the story to go now, but the way I've been telling the story so far isn't going to work. There are big things that are going to happen that Sagestar isn't there for- so I'm going to need to be switching back and forth between two different characters' points of view so you guys can get a full picture of what's going on in JuniperClan. I considered doing that from where I left off, but ultimately decided that it would be better to start at the beginning and keep it consistent throughout the whole "book."

That being said, it will still be a while before the "next" chapter is posted. Instead, I'll be working from the beginning, rewriting everything. Half of the story will still show Sagestar's point of view as she develops as the new leader of JuniperClan, but the other half will be from the point of view of another character...

_Drum roll_

Cougarstrike! Our cranky and dedicated deputy is going to be sharing his side of the story as well! I'm excited for you guys to get to know him better- he's honestly one of my favorite characters and I can't wait to show other sides of his personality- he's a lot more than just the prickly crankypants that Sagestar has seen so far!

Stay tuned for the new chapters as they replace the old ones! Hopefully it won't take too long to get caught up to the "present," and we can move on to the exciting next chapters of the story. The fire wasn't the end of JuniperClan's problems... something even more threatening is just over the horizon!

-Spaghetti


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